Former National Police Chief plunge to death in apparent suicide

BANGKOK, Feb 26 (TNA) -- Retired deputy national police chief Pol Gen Salang Bunnag fell off the 7th floor of a shopping mall in Chaeng Wattana district to his death on Sunday with hand written notes to his family and the public was found on his body. Pakret police received a report that a man had fallen from the 7th floor of CentralPlaza Chaengwattana, a shopping mall, at approximately 11.30 am on Sunday. When they arrived at the scene the were told that shopping centre officials had sent the man to the Cholapratharn General Hospital where he was declared dead. He was later identified as Pol Gen Salang Bunnag. He was 81-years old. Closed-circuit camera footage showed Pol Gen Salang walking alone on the 7th floor before climbing over a glass partition and falling down onto shops below. Eyewitnesses who were questioned confirmed that Pol Gen Salang was alone and had jumped. Police later found several pages of his handwritten notes signed by him saying that he had less than two years to live and wanted to leave society with some good with allegations of a cover-up over the dual-track high speed rail project. Grief stricken family members of the former police later arrived at the Cholapratharn General Hospital to take custody of his body but refused comments to the media. Pol Gen Salang's body has been moved to the Central Institute of Forensic Science at the Police General Hospital for an autopsy. Police deputy spokesman said national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda offered deep condolences to Pol Gen Salang's family. (TNA)