RTC strike: One more dies,another attempts suicide

Hyderabad: In the less than 24 hours from Sunday, one more Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) employee died and another attempted suicide.

RTC Traffic Inspector AG Babu died of heart attack on Monday. The union leaders alleged that he was in fear of losing his job after Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had announced self-dismissal of the employees for not joining their duties after the deadline.

In another incident, Sandeep Kumar, striking RTC conductor had attempted suicide by cutting his wrist with knife at Hyderabad Central University (HCU) depot on Monday while the strike going on at the depot.

Immediately, locals had rushed Sandeep to a nearby area hospital, where he underwent treatment and survived with two stitches and nothing is critical. Police registered a case under section 309 IPC.

"I was depressed over the words of KCR, which are 48,000 RTC employees are self-dismissed and also trying to recruit new staff", Sandeep said.

Meanwhile, Surender Goud (46), a striking RTC bus conductor, who hanged himself to ceiling at his residence in Karwan late died on Sunday. His body was shifted to Osmania General Hospital for postmortem on Monday and amid tight security autopsy was performed.

According to police, Surender Goud joined RTC 14 years ago, he survived by his wife and two children. A suspicious death case was registered under section 174 of CrPC.

Sankeerthan Goud, son of deceased RTC conductor asserted that his father has no other issues to commit suicide other than the depression over losing job as announced by the Chief Minister earlier.

All the political party leaders except from the TRS have visited Surender's home in Karwan and paid final homage to his body and condoled his family members.

Khammam district observed peaceful and total bandh in protest over the death of RTC driver Srinivas Reddy on Sunday.