Agri official suicide: ex-minister's aide moves HC for bail

A personal assistant of former Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister S S "Agri" Krishnamoorthy, facing charges of abetting the suicide of a department official, has moved the Madras High Court bench here seeking anticipatory bail in the case.
Justice K Kalyanasundaram, before whom the matter came up today, posted it for hearing tomorrow.
Petitioner T Poovaiah, who was questioned by police in connection with the suicide of senior agriculture department engineer S Muthukumarasamy, submitted that on the direction of CB-CID police he had given a statement in a magistrate court at Sankarankoil on April 24.
He claimed he was innocent and in no way connected to the case. His name was not in the FIR. However, he expressed the fear that police could arrest him in the case and hence sought anticipatory bail.

57-year old Muthukumarasamy committed suicide by jumping in front of a train in Tirunelveli district on February 20 following alleged pressure from the then Agriculture Minister Krishnamoorthy and his associates over appointment of seven drivers in the department.
Krishnamoorthy was arrested on April 4 on the charge of abetment and granted bail by the high court last week.
It has been alleged that the former minister's personal assistants Poovaiah and G Pandiyan had made calls to Muthukumarasamy in connection with the appointment of the drivers.