A former Russian government official has passed away just hours after he was removed from his position by President Vladimir Putin.

According to reports from Russian media, Roman Starovoit, who served as the Transport Minister, took his own life after being dismissed from his role on Monday.

Investigators in Russia said that Starovoit was discovered inside his personal vehicle with a gunshot wound, raising suspicions that he had committed suicide.

Some reports suggest that his death may be connected to a possible legal investigation. It’s believed he might have used a special gun he received as an award from the Interior Ministry last year.

President Putin didn’t explain why he fired Starovoit, who had only served in the position for about a year. However, insiders told Reuters that officials had been considering his removal for weeks due to suspected corruption in Kursk, where he had previously worked.

After Starovoit’s dismissal, Putin appointed Andrey Nikitin, a former governor from the Novgorod region, as the temporary transport minister.