Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), Mar 12 (UNI) The General Manager (GM) of Seamless Steel Tube Plant (SSTP), a unit of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Tiruchirapalli complex, allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself point-blank on the forehead with a pistol in his office room at Tiruverambur here on Tuesday night.

Preliminary reports quoting police sources said here on Wednesday that the deceased, Shanmugam (50), was found dead in a pool of blood on a sofa with his right hand holding the pistol.

He latched the door from inside before taking the drastic step.

As he did not return home even after his routine work, his family members tried to contact him by mobile phone. But he did not pick up the calls.

Since he did not reply to multiple phone calls, his family members alerted the employees of the SSTP unit, who found the door was locked from inside.

Acting on a complaint, the BHEL police broke open the door in the wee hours of today (0130 AM) and found him dead.

The body was removed to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.

Senior police officials visited the office and held inquiries.

The BHEL police have registered a case and are investigating to ascertain the exact reason that prompted him to take the extreme step.

UNI GSM ARN