Chennai: Former Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) Chairman A V Venkatachalam, who was facing a corruption case, was found dead at his residence in Chennai’s Velachery on Thursday.
Venkatachalam’s wife Vasanthi found him hanging in his room on the first floor of their house in New Secretariat Colony second street around 5 pm. Venkatachalam, a native of Ammampalayam near Attur in Salem district, reportedly hanged himself.
Venkatachalam was charged with criminal misconduct and criminal misappropriation under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in September this year, following a search at several places associated with him.
In a search conducted at Venkatachalam’s residences in Chennai and Salem and other premises Rs 13.5 lakh cash, 8 kg gold, and documents relevant to the case were recovered.
The Velachery police registered a case under Section 174 (unnatural death) of the CrPC.
The reason for his suicide was not known. Initial inquiries revealed that Venkatachalam had not laft any suicide note.