Russia's former transport minister Roman Starovoyt on Monday died by suicide after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin.

Starovoyt shot himself in a Moscow suburb after the dismissal was announced, AFP quoted Russian news agencies as saying. The Russian authorities said his body was found in his car.

"Today, the body of the former Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Roman Starovoit, was found with a gunshot wound in his personal car," a statement issued by Russia's investigative committee said.

President Putin dismissed Starovoit over a year after he was appointed, The Moscow Times quoted a Russian decree. The decree, however, did not specify the reason for Starovoit’s removal.

Starovoit was replaced with Deputy Transportation Minister Andrei Nikitin, who will now serve as acting transportation minister.

Source: Hindustan Times