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Tamil Nadu top cop kills self, was depressed: Officials
Tamil Nadu's deputy inspector general of police, C Vijayakumar, died by suicide due to depression, according to police officials.
Police have attributed depression as the cause after Tamil Nadu’s deputy inspector general of police (DIG) C Vijayakumar shot himself dead using his pistol on Friday morning.
“He had been suffering from depression for the past few years and had been undergoing treatment,” said additional director general of police (law and order) A Arun.
“This morning, I spoke to the doctor who treated him. The doctor informed me that he had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression, and he was on medication. Just four days ago, he had reached out to the doctor, expressing that his depression was worsening.”
Due to his struggles with mental health, his wife and daughter had joined him in Coimbatore a few days ago, the officer added.
He used his security officer’s pistol to shoot himself, the officer further explained.
Vijayakumar, a 2009 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, held the position of DIG in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore range and died by suicide in his camp office on Race Course Road on Friday.
He had been promoted and took charge in Coimbatore in January of this year. Previously, he served as a superintendent of police (SP) in several districts and deputy commissioner of police in Chennai’s Anna Nagar.
Retired IPS officers such as S R Jangid and Sylendra Babu spoke of Vijayakumar’s sincerity in his work. “I even spoke to him last week,” said Jangid, who retired as the Tamil Nadu director general of police (DGP) in 2019.
Chief minister M K Stalin expressed shock and sadness over his death. “Mr Vijayakumar has served the Tamil Nadu Police well in various responsibilities, including District Superintendent of Police during his tenure,” Stalin said. “His death is a huge loss for the Tamil Nadu Police Department. My deepest condolences to his family and his friends in the police force.”
After completing a post-mortem at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, his body was sent to his native Theni district.
Leader of Opposition and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswamy demanded a CBI inquiry into his suicide. “One cannot easily dismiss the suicide of a senior police official. The state government should conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and take appropriate action,” tweeted K Annamalai, the BJP state president, who was a former IPS officer in Karnataka.
“There is no need to politicise this issue,” stated ADGP Arun. “This incident occurred purely due to medical reasons. Our inquiry revealed that there was no external pressure from his family or work.”
