Brigadier among 4 booked for abetment to suicide of fellow officer in Pune

PUNE A case of abetment to suicide was registered by Pune Government railway police (GRP) against four officers of the Indian Army, including one Brigadier-rank officer, for allegedly driving another Brigadier-rank officer to suicide

PUNE A case of abetment to suicide was registered by Pune Government railway police (GRP) against four officers of the Indian Army, including one Brigadier-rank officer, for allegedly driving another Brigadier-rank officer to suicide.

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The now-deceased Brigadier, who worked at the Armed Force Medical College (AFMC), had died by suicide at Pune railway station on Sunday morning.

When asked about whether the four have been arrested, Sadanand Vayse-Patil, superintendent of GRP Pune said, “Not yet as we have to follow central government procedures.”

The deceased’s son was called upon from Bhubaneswar, Odisha by the police. Based on his complaint, a case was registered. A case was registered under Sec 306 (abetment to suicide) and 34 (common intention) of IPC at GRP Pune police station.

A suicide note allegedly signed by the now-deceased officer was found at his quarters in Pune Cantonment, according to the complaint. In the letter, the officer blamed the character assassination caused by an allegedly false complaint of sexual harassment against him as the reason for his drastic decision.

The accused include a Brigadier, a Lieutenant Colonel and two Major-rank officers. Of the two Major-rank officers, one of them had alleged sexual harassment by the now-deceased Brigadier.

However, the deceased - who has earlier been acquitted in another sexual harassment charge - has claimed in his letter that the false allegations were made against him due to the warning that he issued to the female officer for meeting with a male officer during late hours of the night, according to the complaint. The male officer is the second Major-rank officer booked in the case.