Accompanied by a personal security officer and four party functionaries, the 61-year-old minister was travelling by a car allotted to him by the Government to take part in the function at the State Legislative Assembly when the vehicle rammed into a container lorry from behind.
Mr. Mariyam Pichai who was seated in the front seat sustained grievous injuries on his head and face and succumbed while being rushed to the hospital, the police said. The Minister’s Personal Security Officer Head Constable Maheswaran and two party functionaries sustained injuries.
According to police, the car driver V. Anandan (27) was trying to overtake the lorry when the speeding car rammed the lorry from behind. The driver had told the police that he lost control when the lorry suddenly swerved towards the right. Police are on the look out for the lorry. Video recordings of the vehicles passing by the toll gates towards Chennai were being sought.
The Padalur police has registered a case under Section 304 (A) IPC on a complaint preferred by car driver Anandan.
A resident of Sangiliandapuram in the city, Mr. Mariyam Pichai left for Chennai from here after garlanding the statue of 'Perarasar Perumpidugu Mutharayar' which tragically turned out to be his first and last official programme here after taking charge as the State Environment Minister last Monday.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tiruchi Range A.G. Mourya and senior police officials inspected the spot and conducted enquiries. The Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare N.R. Sivapathi was also proceeding to Chennai by road in another car.
The body of Mr. Mariyam Pichai was brought to the Annal Gandhi Memorial Government Headquarters Hospital here where the post mortem was conducted. Vehicular movements along the GH Road were stopped by barricades at the entrance.
Shocked by the news of Mr. Mariyam Pichai’s death, a large number of AIADMK cadre descended on the Government Hospital from where the body was taken to his residence at Sangiliandapuram. As the news of the Minister’s death spread like wild fire, shops and business establishments in several places in the city remained closed for the day. Police personnel were deployed at several places as a precautionary measure.
Mr. Mariam Pitchai defeated the former State Transport Minister K.N. Nehru in the recently concluded Assembly elections from the Tiruchi West Assembly constituency by a margin of 7,179 votes, and got elected as an MLA for the first time.
He had been in the AIADMK for several years and was a councillor in Tiruchi Corporation before contesting in the 2011 assembly election. Mr. Mariyam Pichai avenged his defeat in the 2006 elections at the hands of Mr. Nehru by beating him from the same constituency in the 2011 poll.
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