Mahabubabad: RTC driver ends life, blames KCR in a suicide note

Mahabubabad: A TSRTC driver allegedly committed suicide, reportedly dejected over no outcome of the ongoing strike that entered 40th day on Wednesday. The deceased driver was identified as Avila Naresh (45) who has been working with Mahabubabad bus depot.

He ended his life by consuming pesticide in the early hours of Wednesday. He died before he was shifted to Area Hospital in the town, it is learnt. Naresh has been working with the RTC for the last 15 years. Naresh belonged to Yellampet village under Maripeda mandal.

In a letter purportedly written by him, Naresh held Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao responsible for his death. "I should be the last RTC worker to give up life for the cause of employees," he said.

RTC employees who gathered in large numbers near the hospital took out a rally with the body of Naresh to Mahabubabad bus depot. The Opposition party leaders also joined the protest. The police set up a barricade to obstruct the employees from entering the bus depot. The angry protestors who raised slogans against the State government damaged the barricades, leading to a scuffle between them and police. The police arrested several protestors and shifted them to police station.

Later, the employees staged a sit-in protest before the bus depot demanding that the State government do justice to the family of Naresh. They refused to move the body if the government fails to announce ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased.

Joint Collector David and Superintendent of Police N Koti Reddy tried to pacify the workers by announcing ex-gratia of Rs 7 lakh, a double bedroom house, one government job and all the benefits promised to RTC worker Srinivas Reddy who committed suicide in Khammam last month. Naresh is survived by wife and two sons.