Dr C N A Parimalam (67), foster son of DMK founder and former Tamil Nadu chief minister C N Annadurai, allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a well in his house in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.
Dr Parimalam, a medical practitioner who retired from Government service, is survived by two sons and a daughter. Since his wife’s death in 2006, he had been feeling lonely, his close relatives said.
Dr Parimalam, who had been a heart patient, got discharged on Monday evening after treatment at a private hospital. He sounded depressed and allegedly told his eldest son Malarvannan that he did not want to be a burden on anyone anymore.
Malarvannan went to his room around 2 am on Tuesday to give him medicine and found him missing. After a search, the body was found floating in the well in the garden. Police removed the body to Government Royapettah Hospital. It was handed over to relatives after post-mortem on Tuesday morning.
With the government planning to celebrate Annadurai’s birth centenary this year, Dr Parimalam was engaged in collecting his works that include writings, speeches, plays among others. Dr Parimalam, who never sought any favour from anyone, was trying in his last days to collect rare photographs of Annadurai for his work.
He also planned to produce a tele-serial on the life of Annadurai for the present generation.
Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who took over the reins of the party and the government after Mr Annadurai’s passing in February 1969, called at Dr Parimalam’s residence along with his Cabinet colleagues to pay homage.
AIADMK general secretary Jayalalitha, issued a condolence message and sent her senior colleagues to Dr Parimalam’s house to pay homage.