Pune: Chief Manager Dies by Suicide Inside Baramati Branch; Cites Work Pressure in Note

A chief manager of the Bank of Baroda’s Baramati branch died by suicide inside the bank premises on Thursday night. The deceased has been identified as Shivshankar Mitra, 52. He was originally from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and was living in Baramati. According to officials, he had resigned on July 11, citing health issues and work pressure, and was serving his notice period.

An official from Baramati police station said that Mitra stayed back after banking hours and asked all staff to leave, saying he would close the branch. The security guard left around 9.30 p.m. “Mitra had earlier asked a colleague to bring a rope. Around 10 p.m., he used the rope to hang himself inside the branch. The act was recorded on the bank’s CCTV cameras,” the official said as quoted by PTI.

When Mitra failed to return home or respond to phone calls, his wife went to the bank around midnight. She saw the lights were on but received no response. She then alerted bank staff. After opening the branch, they found Mitra hanging from the ceiling. Police recovered a note from the spot in which Mitra reportedly mentioned work-related stress as the reason for his decision. He did not name anyone in the note. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.

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Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Helpline Numbers:

Tele Manas (Ministry of Health) – 14416 or 1800 891 4416; NIMHANS – 91 80 26995000 /5100 /5200 /5300 /5400; Arpita Suicide Prevention Helpline – 080-23655557; iCALL – 022-25521111 and 9152987821; Peak Mind – 080-456 87786; Vandrevala Foundation – 9999 666 555; COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ) – 0832-2252525