Chennai: All is not well with the Chennai city police as Monday recorded the third incident of suicide within a span of three days. Constable V. Balamurugan (28) of Injambakkam took the extreme step.
His demise has sent shock waves among the rank and file of the state police exposing the depression and the poor working conditions for the men in khaki. According to the police sources, Balamurugan was a 2016 batch constable attached to Avadi Fifth Battalion.
He was posted in Ashok Nagar Police Training School (PTS). He was also a part of 2014 batch of Tamil Nadu Special Police Youth Brigade.
Balamurugan took the extreme step, only 3 days after woman constable Lakshmi attached to Adyar AWPS met a similar fate. On Saturday night, another constable attached to Vishnu Kanchi police station of Kancheepuram district – Sathish Kumar - committed suicide, reportedly, by jumping in front of a speeding train.
Balamurugan, an unmarried constable, was found hanging at his house in Pothigai Street, Injambakkam on wee hours of Monday. It is said that after taking leave from the ‘stressful’ job for a couple of days, the deceased constable had reported to duty on Sunday. “My son had repeatedly said that the job turned more stressful and he did not like the police job anymore,” Vijayan, Balamurugan’s father said.
The police said that Balamurugan returned home depressed on Sunday night and got up at 4 am on Monday to get ready for the work.
“He did not return from the bathroom for a long time and his mother Kaliammal knocked the door repeatedly. As she failed to elicit a response, the family broke the door only to find him hanging,” the police added.
Although the investigation officer denied the work-related depression and suggested family dispute as the possible cause for the suicide, police sources said that he was picked upon by his superiors for taking leave.
The deceased body was sent to Government Royapettah Hospital for post-mortem. Neelangarai police have registered a case and are investigating.
It is also pertinent to note that SI Sathish Kumar had shot himself at Ayanavaram police station on March 7, only a few days after an Armed Reserve wing police Arunraj shot himself at Jayalalitha memorial where he was posted on March 4.
SSI Joseph attached to Korukkupet police station was found hanging in a tree near Kasimedu on April 24.
