In a suspected suicide, a man was found dead on the railway tracks near Pavoorchatram in Tamil Nadu’s Tenkasi district on Tuesday, April 19. The police later found two videos on the 30-year-old man’s phone, in which he named two persons as being responsible for his death, one of whom is a member of the BJP. According to the Railway Police, the deceased was identified as Subramaniam, who was a software engineer by profession. Subramaniam had alleged that the two people he named in the videos were harassing him over various issues, both professionally and privately, for two-and-a-half years.
In one of the videos found on his phone, Subramaniam, who seems to be talking from his car, is heard saying that he may not be alive when the video comes out. In the video, which is addressed to his wife, Subramaniam alleges that two people — Ramalingam and Saravanarajramachandran — were solely responsible for his death. It is learned that Subramaniam’s company was going through a rough patch. “Ramalingam is a BJP [member]; he says he is an advocate. My problems are known to everyone, including the legal notices he sent to me and my company. He wanted me to do a project free for him, but I demanded money for that. So he has been torturing me for the past 2.5 years,” Subramanian is heard saying.
In the video, Subramaniam also claimed that Saravanarajramachandran had been harassing him, as the latter had apparently alleged that Subramaniam had hacked his phone. “The government, MK Stalin, Annamalai IPS should take notice of this and get them punished,” Subramaniam said.
In the second video, Subramaniam is heard asking his wife to take care of their two-year-old child. “He (Ramalingam) has the arrogance that he can do anything since he is a lawyer. He might torture us. This is what he has been doing for the past 2.5 years. I couldn’t focus on my career and I think this will be a suitable lesson for him,” he alleged. It is believed that he died by suicide after recording the video.
Railway Sub-Inspector Ravichandran, who is investigating the case, told TNM that the veracity of the allegations in the videos is being examined. He added that further action will be taken accordingly. Further details about the investigation are awaited.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.