IAS Officer’s Estranged Wife Who ‘Eloped’ With Gangster Dies After Poisoning Herself

The estranged wife of a Gujarat IAS officer died on Sunday after ingesting poison the previous day at the official’s residence in Gandhinagar. This incident marked the culmination of a tumultuous few months during which she allegedly eloped with a gangster from her native Tamil Nadu and became involved in a child abduction case there.

Surya J, 45, passed away at Civil Hospital in the Gujarat capital. Police reports indicate that Surya ingested the poison on Saturday morning after her husband, Ranjeeth Kumar J, instructed his aides to bar her from entering his home in Sector-19 of Gandhinagar. Kumar serves as the secretary of the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC).

“Kumar had gone out to finalize his divorce petition with Surya on Saturday. Rattled at not being let in, she (Surya) ingested poison and called up 108 (an ambulance helpline),” a police officer stated. Gandhinagar SP Ravi Teja Vasamsetty confirmed that a purported suicide note in Tamil was discovered but withheld further details.

Police sources suggested that Surya might have sought refuge at her husband’s home to avoid arrest by Tamil Nadu Police in connection with the Madurai kidnapping case of a 14-year-old boy. Surya’s involvement in the case emerged alongside her rumored boyfriend, a local gangster known as “High Court Maharaja,” and his associate Senthil Kumar. They allegedly abducted the boy on July 11 over a financial dispute with his mother, demanding a ransom of Rs 2 crore. The Madurai police managed to rescue the boy and subsequently initiated a search for all those involved, including Surya.

A source close to the developments mentioned that Surya had left Kumar and eloped with “High Court Maharaja” approximately nine months ago. SP Vasamsetty acknowledged the kidnapping case as a possible influence, stating, “I came to know from reports that she (Surya) was accused of kidnapping in Madurai, which could have forced her to take this extreme step.”