Rift with parents drives TV anchor to suicide

A 28-year-old television anchor working for a private Tamil news channel, who got married barely five months ago, allegedly committed suicide at his house at Thiruverkadu early on Monday morning. Police suspected problems in the family front to have led the man to taking the extreme step.

Police said K Nedunchezian (28), a native of Pallipalayam, got married to Arti (26), a dentist working at a college at Velappachavadi and a native of Karur district, five months back. The couple was staying at a rented house at Velappan Nagar in Madhiravedu, Thiruverkadu. He was working in a private Tamil news channel anchoring a business-related programme.

Police sources said around 3 am on Monday, Arti woke up and found her husband missing from the bedroom. She reportedly searched for him and was shocked to find him hanging from the ceiling fan in another room. Police sources said the couple had a fight on Sunday night allegedly over Nedunchezian’s parents not visiting him as they were reportedly unhappy with his marriage. The man did not leave any suicide note, police said and added that Nedunchezian had an injury on the head that could have been caused when his wife cut the noose in an attempt to save his life.

Thiruverkadu police registered a case and were investigating. Police said their inquiries with Arti revealed that Nedunchezian and Arti met a few years ago in a train and fell in love. While her parents agreed to the marriage, his parents were reportedly against it, police said.

According to one of his friends, who is also a colleague in the Tamil news channel, Nedunchezian had informed his parents and married Arti five months ago. Police said that ever since they got married against his parents’ wish, they did not meet him and Nedunchezian was reportedly upset over it. Hence, the couple had fights, police said.

Among colleagues, he was known as a cheerful and hardworking person who showed no signs of depression over the problems at home.