'Work pressure': Bank manager who resigned due to work-linked stress dies by suicide; asked employee to get him a rope

Work pressure claimed another life in India's Maharashtra as a manager at a nationalised bank in Baramati died by suicide. His suicide note didn't blame any person but cited work-related stress. The deceased has been identified as Shivshankar Mitra, a chief manager at the branch of the bank, who had resigned due to health issues and workload earlier this month. He was on his notice period.

Shivshankar Mitra asked all the staff at work to leave and said he would shut down the branch himself. He died by suicide after the security guard also left the premises. He had asked a bank employee to get a rope for him. CCTV footage shows him hanging himself inside the bank at around 10 pm.

The suicide was revealed after Mitra's wife came to the office around midnight. She alerted the bank staff after she saw that the lights were on, but he wasn't responding to her calls.

The police said his suicide note blamed work pressure but not any individual. He quit on July 11.

The police have registered a case and are investigating what drove him to take the extreme step.

The incident comes months after an employee at Ola's artificial intelligence unit, Krutrim, died by suicide due to what he called a toxic work culture and work pressure. The employee was identified as Nikhil Somwanshi.

Last year, 26-year-old Anna Augustine, an EY (Ernst & Young) employee in Pune, died, allegedly due to work pressure.

If you or someone you know wants help for mental well-being, don't hesitate to talk to a professional. You can contact local authorities and also encourage the person to contact asuicide prevention hotline.