Assam engineer dies by suicide, names 2 seniors for forcing her to clear fraudulent bills

A 30-year-old assistant engineer with the Public Works Department (PWD) in Assam was found dead in her rented house on Tuesday afternoon, in an alleged case of suicide.

The engineer, Jyotisha Das, left behind a handwritten note alleging sustained harassment by senior officials to approve fraudulent bills for incomplete construction work.

In her note, Das wrote that she had been under severe mental stress due to repeated pressure from her superiors. She claimed there was no one to guide her in the office and expressed feelings of exhaustion and helplessness, reports NDTV.

Following the discovery, Das’s family lodged an FIR. Based on the contents of the suicide note, two senior PWD officials have been arrested on charges of abetment to suicide.

The accused have been identified as Dinesh Medhi Sharma, recently promoted to Superintendent Engineer and formerly posted as Executive Engineer in Bongaigaon, and Aminul Islam, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) currently serving in Bongaigaon.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.

“We are investigating all aspects. The building concerned, on which the alleged bills were made, will be probed. We will reassess the work costing,” said a senior police official.

Recently a similar case was reported in Himachal Pradesh which had sparked widespread concern over alleged corruption within government departments and the mental health challenges faced by professionals in public service.