Ex-Tamil Nadu DGP VR Lakshminarayanan, who arrested former PM Indira Gandhi, dies

Former Tamil Nadu DGP VR Lakshminarayanan, who arrested the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in a corruption case, passed away on Sunday in Chennai following brief illness, family sources said. He was 91 and is survived by a son and two daughters. Lakshminarayanan, fondly known as VRL, was a 1951 batch IPS officer. He began his career as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Madurai and then rose to become the Joint Director of Central Bureau of Investigation.

Lakshminarayanan had worked under various Prime Ministers including late Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Charan Singh, Morarji Desai. He had also arrested the late Indira Gandhi in 1977 in a graft case.

Lakshminarayanan retired in 1985 as a Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu. His younger daughter Rama Narayanan said her father passed away around 2 am on Sunday at his residence in Chennai.

Rama Narayanan, in a brief interaction with PTI, hailed her father as a hero who was able to dedicate time for the family and also to the public service.“His life is unique. Because, usually, a public figure will not be able to devote time and energy to their family.

They make choices. But Appa (father), had a unique way of being a hero within his family as well as, a stalwart in public service”, she said.The last rites would be performed on June 25.