CBI to probe suicide by PWD engineer : Himanta

way2barak, Aug 1: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the state government has approached the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe into the suicide of a 30-year-old Public Works Department engineer who accused her seniors of pressuring her to sign off on fraudulent bills.

Sarma told reporters after the state cabinet meeting that Assam chief secretary Ravi Kota had spoken to the CBI director, and the agency had agreed to take up the case.

Sarma told reporters after the state cabinet meeting that Assam chief secretary Ravi Kota had spoken to the CBI director, and the agency had agreed to take up the case.

“CBI has consented to investigate the matter. However, a formal notification will take 20-25 days as it requires approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs,” Sarma said, adding that Assam Police would continue its investigation in the interim period.

The assistant engineer, a resident of Guwahati, was found hanging in her rented apartment in Bongaigaon on July 22. A handwritten note at the scene accused two senior PWD officials of pressuring her to clear fraudulent bills related to incomplete works.

Based on the contents of the note and a complaint lodged by her family, police arrested superintendent engineer Dinesh Medhi Sharma and sub-divisional officer (SDO) Aminul Islam on charges of abetment to suicide under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.