In a heart-wrenching incident, a 38-year-old software engineer named Karthikeyan from Theni died by suicide at his residence in Thazhambur, near Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), on Thursday, September 19. The police reported that Karthikeyan electrocuted himself and was found entangled in live wires by his wife when she returned from a temple visit.
Karthikeyan had been suffering from depression due to work pressure and had been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Medavakkam for the last two months. He had recently transitioned to a new job and left behind a suicide note addressed to his family members. He had been employed at a software firm in Pallavaram for 15 years.
At the time of the incident, Karthikeyan was alone in the house as his wife, K Jayarani, had gone to the Thirunallaru temple with friends, while their two children, aged 8 and 10, were staying with their grandmother. When Jayarani returned and received no response after knocking on the door, she used an alternate key to enter the house and discovered her husband lying unconscious. He was found in his undergarments with a power cable wrapped around his body, which was connected to the main junction box.
The body was sent for post-mortem to Chromepet Government Hospital, and the police have registered a case of unnatural death.
This tragic incident comes amid growing concerns about the mental health struggles faced by professionals in high-pressure industries. Recently, the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a former Ernst & Young (EY) employee, allegedly due to work-related stress, has also sparked widespread outrage and raised questions about workplace conditions.
