24-yr-old commits suicide after being bullied for dressing up as a woman

Bullied and ridiculed by his friends and strangers over social media for “dressing up in women attires”, a 24-year-old man Wednesday jumped before a train and committed suicide, police in Chennai said.

V Kalaiyarasan, a resident of Kannikapuram in Vyasarpadi, a northern suburb in Chennai, used to release videos of himself on a mobile-based application, TikTok, to much ridicule.

“We retrieved his body but did not find his phone on him. Enquiry with family members revealed that Kalaiyarasan was under distress for being teased by his followers on the app over his videos in women’s costumes. Many of his followers ridiculed him, calling him a transgender and a eunuch,” a senior officer investigating the case told HT.

“...I cannot be cowed down by those who tease. Despite the fact that I have uploaded many male role videos, why the haters are hurting me ruthlessly when I am posing as a woman,” Kalaiyarasan has asked in his last video.

One of Kalaiyarasan’s neighbours, K Vimala, said he “very disturbed at the backlash and the harsh criticism”.

The police said Kalaiyarasan was also scolded by his family members for uploading such videos.

“After seeing his videos, several people known to his family reported about him to his parents... We are examining his TikTok account. Some of his friends are being questioned as well,” the officer said.

First Published: Oct 18, 2018 23:50 IST