Namma Metro staffer commits suicide, claiming mental harassment
Bengaluru, (DHNS): A 30-year-old Namma Metro staffer committed suicide by hanging at his house in BMRCL quarters in Sunkadkatte on Thursday.
The deceased, Santosh Kumar worked with the engineering and maintenance department of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the police said. Kumar was found hanging in his room by his mother Pushpa when she went to wake him up in the morning. The police suspect he could have hanged himself the previous night. His body was shifted to Victoria Hospital for postmortem.
Kumar has left a suicide note in which he says he was a victim of mental harassment, but the police are unsure if the harassment was from his management side or by some others.
Meanwhile, BMRCL Employees Union alleged that workplace harassment has led him to take the extreme step. They also threatened to protest if the police did not file a case appropriately and investigate it.
In his eight-page suicide note, Santosh blamed his personal problems as well BMRCL management for his death. Kumar claimed that he was recently taken to Chandra Layout police station over an enquiry into the case of a missing woman with whom he was in love. He makes a fervent request to the woman to return to her home to clear the air over the incident and free him from blame.
About halfway into the letter, he blames the BMRCL management for his extreme step. “The BMRCL management has a share in my suicide. Over the last few months, senseless rules have been imposed on staff. There is a rule prohibiting us from taking mutual (exchange of work shifts). Which company has such rules? How will the employees work” the note reads?
Further, the note says the work environment has become suffocating. “Employees can’t ask the management for anything. If we ask, we will get a memo. From the last one month, I have been unable to work. Though I have requested for a change, nobody is listening,” he alleges in the note.
Kamakshipalaya police have registered a case of unnatural death and are further investigating.
A senior BMRCL official said the incident was unfortunate but would not like to comment until they get the full facts. “We are finding out if the employee had raised any complaints regarding his work or the management. We will conduct an inquiry before commenting on the issue,” he said.
