Minister's brother denies links with suicide of Dalit man

"I have no connection with the man's suicide last night as I was in Chennai at the time it occurred," he told reporters.

Police claimed that the suicide letter recovered from the spot was not written by the victim, who was a third standard dropout. The man's family had also confirmed it was not his handwriting.

They said the fact that the letter had been scanned and sent to a newspaper office in Madurai even before it was seized by police showed that some "mischievous elements" were at work.

Revenue Divisional Officer Rajarathinam is also enquiring into the matter.

The letter blamed six persons, including Raja, for the suicide. It claimed Raja had sidelined him from renovation work of Kailasanathar temple at Kailasapatti and also threatened to have him branded as a thief if he involved himself further in the work.