Coimbatore Devotee's Suside Attempt
Thiruvatteeswarar Koil in Subadral Nagar at Zam Bazaar has been, right from the British period, attracting devotees who come to pray for longevity. On Tuesday, when a devotee from Coimbatore came to the temple to "end my life at the abode of God," the police had prayers on their lips. Muthu Arangusamy (54) had initially planned his 'final moments' to be at Kapaleeswarar Koil in Mylapore.He changed his mind and went to Thiruvatteeswarar Koil. He climbed the 100-feet gopuram at the entrance of the temple using the narrow steps inside and from there he proclaimed his "imminent jump to death." Subadrammal, an 80-year-old woman living near the temple had the shock of her life when Arangusamy emerged from a window atop the gopuram with the threat to end his life. "My arthritis was so bad that I couldn't go to the temple on this special day of 'pradosham.'
I was sitting on the verandah of my house when this man started shouting from the top of the gopuram. I shuddered at the thought of his jumping and dying in front of my eyes. That is when the police came," Subadrammal told The Times Of India. Subramanian, who sells flowers and clay lamps in front of the temple, was taken aback by the sudden move of Arangusamy. "I saw him coming into the temple. He looked like any other devotee. But none of us noticed him getting into the stairway of the temple. Then we heard him shouting from the gopuram, threatening to end his life," Subramanian said.
The devotees then informed the Zam Bazaar police station. Sub inspectors Rajagopal and Suresh Kumar, along with three constables, rushed to the spot and tried to persuade Arangusamy to come down. "He first refused. Then we climbed the stairway and threatened to arrest him. We said we will book him under an attempt to suicide case. He then told us that he climbed the gopuram only to meditate. It was difficult climbing the narrow stairway to the top of the tower," Narayanan, one of the constables said.
The police, however, released Arangusamy and did not register a case. "We released him after a stern warning. What else we can do with such characters," the policeman said. Arangusamy has not revealed the reason behind his decision to commit suicide. Three constables are still on duty near the temple, to prevent Arangusamy from repeating the act, if he tries again.
