Former Tamil Nadu agriculture minister Agri Krishnamoorthy arrested in Chennai

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, April 6, 2015 : Tamil Nadu Police have arrested AIADMK leader and former agriculture minister "Agri" S.S. Krishnamoorthy in connection with the suicide of S. Muthukumarasamy, an engineer in the agricultural department, last month.

The arrest of Krishnamoorthy comes 44 days after the death of Muthukumarasamy, who allegedly committed suicide because he was under pressure from the minister while recruiting seven drivers.

Krishnamoorthy was summoned for questioning by CB-CID official and was arrested late on Saturday night, a Senior CB-CID official told PTI.

"As part of further investigation, he is being taken to Tirunelveli," the official added.

Also, another official of the department Senthil has been arrested along with the former minister, he said.

Based on the call records, Senthil had called Muthukumarasamy several times and also offered the deceased’s son a job.

On February 20, Muthukurmarasamy jumped in front of a train and was killed. Soon after his death, allegation were made by opposition parties including PMK, Cong, DMK that the official killed himself ’due to pressure’ of then minister and sought his arrest and CBI probe.

The death of the official snowballed into a political row prompting AIADMK to drop Krishnamoorthy from the state cabinet and strip him off his party posts.