Fisheries department inspector ends life

Chennai: In yet another suspected case of work pressure driving government official to commit suicide, a 31-year-old fisheries department inspector killed himself at his residence at Royapettah on Monday.  The deceased, Vijaya Rahgavan, was working as an inspector at the Commissioner of Fisheries office at Teynampet. The police said the reason for his extreme step was unknown to them but indicated that there was no problem on the domestic front.  “He got married just a few months ago and there was no problem in his family life,” said Royapettah inspector.  

There was no suicide note, the officer said.  He hanged himself on Monday when he was alone at home. His wife works in a private firm. She found him dead when she returned from work in the evening.Vijaya Raghavan’s relatives and friends told this newspaper that he was finding it difficult in Chennai office because of work pressure after he got transferred from sub office in Nagapatinam to the city in February following his marriage in January this year.

The body of the victim was taken to his native place Gobichettipalayam at Erode on Tuesday.“Though the working timing is 10 am to 5.45 pm, most of them days he was asked to stay back and work till 8 pm and even asked to come to work for weekends,” one of his relatives said. There were a few other internal issues in the department as well, one of his friends said. Dr S. Vijayakumar, secretary, animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries department, said that he was aware of the suicide.  “Police are probing the cause behind his suicide,” he added.