Bus driver announces suicide on WhatsApp

Coimbatore: A private bus driver, who was under severe depression, on Friday hanged himself to death from the ceiling of his house at Ponnachiyur near Samathur after posting his photo with a caption that read ‘rest in peace’ as his WhatsApp status. The Kottur police identified the deceased as S Shanmugasundaram, 28. He was a driver of a bus plying between Nachipalayam and Ukkadam.A police officer said Shanmugasundaram was residing with his mother Mangaiyarkarasi. “Around 5.30pm on Friday, he contacted his relative Panchalingam, of Rangasamuthiram, and told him that he was under depression and would end his life soon.”Immediately, Panchalingam sent his son Deepanraj to check on him. “Deepanraj knocked on the door of the house and there was no response. He then climbed on the tiled roof and removed a few tiles but only to see Shanmugasundaram hanging from the ceiling,” the officer said.Preliminary inquiry revealed that Shanmugasundaram had also made a video call to his friend Karthik, a private bus conductor, and told him that he would end his life soon. tnn