Caught on camera taking Rs 500-bribe, Tamil Nadu health dept official hangs self

The official, Sridhar, was to retire in a few weeks’ time. He allegedly hung himself from the ceiling fan in a room of his friend’s house.

A senior Tamil Nadu health department official allegedly committed suicide at a friend’s house after he was caught taking a Rs 500-bribe from a blind person on camera in September, police said on Friday.

The deceased allegedly sought bribe from a blind person to issue a disability certificate. (Representative image)

K Sridhar allegedly sought the bribe to issue a disability certificate to the person and gave the document after he was handed over Rs 200.

A non-government organisation recorded the incident and released the recording to local media channels that highlighted the case. Sridhar was booked by the department of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) after an internal inquiry by the health department.

Tamil Nadu’s health secretary J Radhakrishnan suspended Sridhar pending a full investigation.

Sridhar, who was to retire in a few weeks’ time, allegedly hung himself from the ceiling fan in a room of his friend’s house on Wednesday night in Ponneri, 40km from state capital Chennai.

His death was discovered on Thursday and the police did not find any suicide note.

Police said that preliminary investigations into the death revealed that Sridhar was depressed ever since the video of the bribery incident became public.