Bongaigaon, 25 July (HS): The investigation into the tragic suicide of PWD engineer Joshita Das has taken a new turn with the arrest of architect Devajit Sarma, who had designed the Barshanagar Mini Stadium in Bongaigaon. He becomes the third individual taken into custody in connection with the case.
Sarma’s name reportedly figured in the detailed suicide note left by Joshita, a Junior Engineer with the PWD (Housing), who was found hanging at her rented accommodation in Barpara earlier this week. Her note has become the key focus of the ongoing police inquiry.
Joshita had been working in Bongaigaon for nearly a year and, according to her suicide note, faced sustained mental harassment and coercion from senior officials. The note specifically named former Executive Engineer Dinesh Sharma Medhi and ex-SDO Aminul Islam, both of whom have been transferred but allegedly continued to pressure her.
The engineer claimed she was being forced to approve a contractor’s bill related to a mini stadium project in Borsojgaon, despite several procedural irregularities. She pointed out the absence of essential documents, faulty estimates submitted by Sarma, and lack of on-site support. Joshita also blamed contractor Rudra Pathak for not deploying a site engineer, leaving her to handle execution single-handedly.
Following her death, Joshita’s mother filed an FIR naming the officials responsible for her daughter’s deteriorating mental health. “She would often speak about unbearable work pressure,” the mother told reporters, describing how her daughter was “mentally shattered.”
Police have not ruled out more arrests as they continue to sift through evidence and witness accounts. The incident has sparked outrage across Assam, especially in engineering and administrative circles, with mounting pressure on the government to address systemic workplace harassment and ensure accountability.
As the investigation progresses, calls for institutional safeguards to protect young professionals grow louder, with many demanding that Joshita's death not go in vain.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash
