A senior bureaucrat working with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department died reportedly by suicide in Telangana on Thursday. V Bhaskara Ramana Murthy had been working as the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) for Coastal Zone Management for Andhra Pradesh. He was found dead at his residence in Nagole on Thursday morning.
LB Nagar police said that the family has said that they do not suspect anyone’s hand in his death. The 59-year-old Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer had been working as the PCCF from the Aranya Bhavan office in Guntur. For the past couple of months, he had taken leave from work and was staying at his residence in Telangana with his family, police said.
Ramana Murthy, a 1987-batch IFS officer, is survived by his wife and two daughters. "So far, the reason for him to resort to such an extreme step is not known," a senior police official told PTI.
LB Nagar Inspector of Police Ashok Reddy said that the death occurred around midnight on Wednesday, and the post-mortem has been completed. A case of suicide has been registered under section 174 of the CrPC (Code Of Criminal Procedure).
Ramana Murthy’s friend who was at his residence after his death told reporters that his friends and family were not aware of any possible reasons for his death. “There were no financial or family issues. No work-related issues have come to our notice. He was on leave for the past two months. He was taking rest and making arrangements for his younger daughter’s wedding,” he said.
The friend also told reporters that Ramana Murthy was about to get back to work soon, as his leave period had come to an end.
According to the friend, Ramana Murthy had gone to bed after having dinner with his wife and daughter. The family was informed of his death by the watchman in the morning, he said.
PTI Inputs
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm)
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.