MK, Stalin should take responsibility for official's death: Jaya

Chennai, Feb 11 (UNI) AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalithaa today said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, his son M K Stalin and Dharmapuri Collector should take responsibility of the death of a government official who allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at Dharmapuri.

It was said that the official took the extreme step when the Dharmapui District Collector allegedly coaxed him to meet the expenditure for the proposed visit of Mr Stalin to the panchayat on February 15, she charged.

In a statement here tonight, Ms Jayalalithaa claimed the Collector had convened a meeting yesterday to discuss the proposed visit of Mr Stalin and arrangements for the same.

During the meeting, the Collector ordered Assistant Director of Panchayats Govindasamy to meet the entire expenditure for Mr Stalin's proposed visit.

Despite the official's plea that he could not meet such a huge expenditure, the Collector compelled him to meet it saying this was an order from higher-ups and there was no other alternative, she claimed.

Following this, the official hanged himself in his room last night from where the police had found a suicide note also, she claimed.

Ms Jaya alleged the suicide note was under the custody of District Collector.

She said the employees of the various state departments had staged demonstrations in front of the Collectorate condemning the incident and the Collector.

She demanded that both Mr Karunanidhi and his son Mr Stalin resign immediately owning moral responsiblity for the incident.

UNI