Kollywood producer B Ashok Kumar commits suicide, blames loan sharks

Director-producer B Ashok Kumar left behind a suicide note in which he blamed Madurai-based film financier Anbu Chezian for his ordeal.

Kollywood film director-producer B Ashok Kumar committed suicide in Chennai on Tuesday after he was harassed by a film financier, reports The Hindu. Relative of popular film director Sasikumar, Ashok has left behind a long letter detailing his ordeal.

Ashok Kumar said in his suicide note that he was harassed by a Madurai-based financier for seven years.

According to officials at Valasaravakkam Police Station, Ashok was found hanging in his multi-storeyed apartment at Arcot Road in Alwarthirunagar, the report adds. In his suicide note, he blamed a Madurai-based film financier for harassing him and charging exorbitant interest. His production company had been taking loans from him.

Naming Anbu Chezian in his note, Ashok went on to explain his ordeal. “For seven years, he had charged exorbitant interest rates. However, for the past six months, he stooped to levels wherein he started harassing women and elders in our family by sending strangers to the house,” The Deccan Chronicle added.

He also alleged that Chezian was well connected with the police and politicians and that no legal action could be taken against him. He also noted how he felt bad seeing actor Sasikumar put under stress for his mistakes, the Deccan Chronicle added. Ashok has co-produced some of Sasikumar’s films which include Eesan, Poraali and the yet-to-be-released Kodi Veeran.

Th Hindu quoted a senior officer of the Chennai police saying that a case under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC has been registered against the financier.

Meanwhile, the suicide letter is being circulated on the social media and has already gone viral. Actor Vishal, who is also the president of Tamil Film Producers Council has reacted to the sad news. He posted a long note on his twitter account where while expressing sadness over the incident, he called out to all troubled producers to reach out to the organisation for help. “Suicide is not solution and I hereby request producers to reach out to us if they face such threats from financiers. We will be more than happy to help out.”

Here’s what he wrote:

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