‘Denied favourable work assignments’: How project managers ‘drove’ Pune TCS techie to suicide; arrest likely
PUNE: Pimpri-Chinchwad Police have registered a case against three people, including two employees of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), following the alleged suicide of a 48-year-old IT professional from Pune district.The deceased, identified as Amit Abhay Brahme, worked at TCS’s Hinjawadi facility. He was found dead at his residence on June 2.The case was registered at Bhosari police station under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) and Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.‘Subjected to humiliation and pressure’Police said the FIR was filed on June 9 based on a complaint by Brahme’s 19-year-old son, Anish Brahme.The complaint alleged that Amit Brahme was subjected to prolonged mental harassment, humiliation and defamation, which pushed him to take the extreme step.The FIR names Vinod Jethalal Palicha and two TCS employees identified as Archana and Shashwati.Police said a suicide note was recovered after Brahme’s death. Family members claimed that the note mentioned the emotional distress and pressure he had allegedly been facing for a long time.Suicide note names friend, two colleaguesIn the purported suicide note, Brahme allegedly accused his friend Vinod Palicha of sending defamatory emails about him to the company.The note also named colleagues Archana and Shashwati, alleging that they repeatedly humiliated him in front of other employees, denied him favourable work assignments and gave him projects outside his area of expertise.The note further claimed that the two colleagues reprimanded him over his performance, asked him to quit his job in front of co-workers and threatened to give adverse feedback.Family alleges workplace pressureAccording to the complaint, Brahme was allegedly sidelined at work, with important assignments being taken away from him.The family alleged that he was pressured to resign and threatened with negative performance assessments.Apart from workplace allegations, the family accused Palicha of filing false criminal complaints against Brahme and sending legal notices that allegedly caused further mental distress.The complainant also alleged that defamatory communications were circulated to TCS about Brahme and that Palicha had sent an email to the company to defame him.‘Wife suffering from chronic illness’A police officer said Brahme’s wife was also suffering from a chronic illness.“His wife was also suffering from a chronic illness. Frustrated by the harassment, he took the extreme step at his house on June 2. He mentioned the names of all three accused in the suicide note. Our investigation is on,” the officer said.Another police official said, “We have registered a case under section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and are conducting further investigation. No arrest has been made so far.”Police said statements of relevant people will be recorded as part of the investigation.TCS says it is ascertaining factsTCS expressed condolences over Brahme’s death and said it was looking into the allegations.“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague, Amit Brahme. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones during this extremely difficult time.The wellbeing of our employees is of utmost importance to us and we are extending all support to the bereaved family. We have also taken note of the allegations against the two employees and are ascertaining the facts. Complete cooperation is being extended to relevant authorities as they continue their investigation.As this is an ongoing process, it won’t be appropriate for us to comment further at this stage.We remain committed to fostering a workplace that is respectful, supportive, and inclusive for all our employees.”(With inputs from agencies)
