IPS C Vijayakumar, Posted As DIG Coimbatore Dies By 'Suicide'

A senior police official in the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Coimbatore range, allegedly died by suicide and is suspected to have shot himself, police said on Friday. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed shock over the incident and said the demise was a huge loss to the police department.

DIG C Vijayakumar is suspected to have shot himself with his service pistol at his residence at Red Fields in the city, a senior police officer said and added the cause for the extreme measure was being ascertained. The 2009 batch IPS official had assumed charge as DIG in January this year. He had served as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Anna Nagar, Chennai earlier.

Previously, he had served as Superintendent of Police in Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts. This is the second such incident in recent years of a senior official allegedly dying by suicide in Tamil Nadu.

Then Tiruchengode Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Vishnupriya allegedly died of suicide at her residence in Namakkal district in 2015. She was found hanging. Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Stalin said he was shocked and saddened to hear the sad news of the untimely death of C Vijayakumar today. "Vijayakumar had served Tamil Nadu police force well in various responsibilities including district SP during his tenure." 

"His death is a huge loss to the Tamil Nadu Police department. My deepest condolences and sympathies to his family, friends and police force," the Chief Minister tweeted.