Depressed over pressure, harassed fireman commits suicide in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Depressed over pressure from his family to marry a minor girl and suspected harassment from his superiors, a 30-year-old fireman committed suicide in Ramnagar on Friday. Ch Shiva Reddy, a native of Medak and posted at Gowliguda fire station, stated in a suicide note that his parents and cousin were forcing him to marry a minor girl. He also named the station fire officer (SFO) saying he scolded him for not being regular at the work, police said.

Fire department officials denied the claim and said he was under depression. Shiva Reddy, 30, from Sadashivpet in Medak district was to get married in August. But he came to know that the girl was a minor. He raised the matter with his family, but they rejected his concerns asking him to marry the same girl.

Recently he appeared for the Sub Inspector selection test but failed to qualify. Of late, he was under depression and showing suicidal tendencies. His friends took him to a psychologist and he was under treatment. His friends said he had a deep desire to become a public servant and appeared for various examinations.

On Friday, he was found hanging in his friend’s rented room at Ramnagar. The suicide note said that his parents and cousin Amaradhi Nagireddy and his wife Manju were forcing him to marry a minor girl. He also said that his superior, Rajkumar, station fire officer, shouted at him for being absent.