Assam: CBI takes over probe in PWD engineer’s death case

Guwahati, Oct 14 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formally taken over the probe into the alleged suicide of Public Works Department (PWD) assistant engineer Joshita Das, who reportedly ended her life after being subjected to intense and unlawful pressure from her superiors to engage in corrupt practices, officials said on Tuesday.

Acting on a reference from the Assam government, the CBI re-registered the case initially filed at the Bongaigaon police station. Das, who was serving at the PWD’s Bongaigaon sub-division, was found dead at her residence on July 22, sparking outrage across the state and demands for an impartial investigation.

According to the CBI FIR, Das was “coerced, criminally intimidated, and threatened” by her senior colleagues and certain contractors to manipulate estimates and bills related to a mini-stadium project in Bongaigaon.

The accused named in the FIR include architect Debajit Sharma, SDO Aminul Islam, and executive engineer Dinesh Medhi Sharma, who allegedly subjected Das to severe workplace harassment.

Her family members had alleged that the 29-year-old engineer was under tremendous mental stress because of constant demands to approve inflated bills and falsify documents.

They claimed that despite repeatedly voicing her concerns to higher officials, no action was taken, and she was instead warned to “fall in line.” In her final days, Das reportedly confided in her family about the unbearable pressure she was facing, describing how the unethical demands had made her workplace “unlivable.”

The FIR notes that this unrelenting harassment pushed her into a state of depression, ultimately leading to her death.

Earlier, the Assam government had constituted a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case, and three accused individuals were arrested.

However, given the gravity and sensitivity of the allegations, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had recommended that the investigation be handed over to the CBI to ensure transparency and accountability.

The Opposition Congress, which had petitioned Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya seeking a CBI probe, welcomed the move, saying it was a step toward securing justice for the young engineer whose death has exposed serious ethical lapses within the state’s infrastructure department.

--IANS

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