BDO’s aide jumps to death after both caught taking bribe

Trichy: An assistant at the block development office in Tiruvarur jumped to death from the third floor of his office building on Thursday evening while being interrogated by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) officials after his arrest, along with the BDO, for accepting a bribe. The deceased was identified as R Suresh Kumar, 51, a resident of Thuvakudi in Trichy district.According to sources, Bharathidasan, a resident of Tiruvarur district, went to the block development office a few days ago seeking a plot approval receipt. The BDO for village panchayat scheme, S Swaminathan, along with his assistant Suresh Kumar, allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs7,000 to issue the receipt. Bharathidasan lodged a complaint with DVAC in Tiruvarur. After conducting a preliminary inquiry, DVAC confirmed the bribe demand and planned a trap. The sleuths gave Bharathidasan Rs7,000 in currency notes laced with a chemical powder to be handed over to the two officials.On Thursday afternoon, as Swaminathan and Suresh Kumar took the money from Bharathidasan, the DVAC team caught them red-handed. Police arrested the two officials, examined important documents in the office and interrogated them. During the inquiry, Suresh Kumar excused himself for a break, went to the terrace of the building and jumped down. He sustained severe injuries and was rushed to a private hospital where he succumbed to injuries.Tiruvarur town police registered a case under Section 196-2a of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for charges related to death in custody, as directed by SP Karun Garad. "The assistant might have taken the drastic step to avoid the social stigma. A deputy superintendent of police and a judicial magistrate are separately investigating the case," the SP told TOI. (Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on TN's health helpline 104 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)