Chennai, Nov 25 (IANS): A 44-year-old Math teacher of a private school in Karur district hanged himself, a week after a girl studentof his class committed suicide citing rape.

The incident occurred at Sengatupatti Village in Thuraiyur, Tiruchi.

Saravanan's death followed the suicide of his Class XII girl student. In her suicide note, the student had said that she was raped but did not name the rapist.

While Karur police dismissed the suicide of Saravanan as a fallout of some domestic dispute, reports from local media state that he took the extreme step as students of the school linked him to the death of the girl student.

Police said that in the suicide note of the girl she had said, "I should be the last girl to die of sexual harassment".

The girl lost her father two years ago and she and her mother were being taken care of by her cousin and grandmother.

After the girl's death, Member of Parliament from Karur, Jothimani had written to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin that the inspector of police at Vengamudu station had misbehaved with the victim's family. Jothimani demanded action against the police and the officer was promptly put on suspension.

A police officer, who is in the know of things, told IANS: "We don't exactly know the reason behind the death of the Mathematics teacher. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and would question all those who were close to the Maths teacher."

Saravanan is survived by wife and two children.