Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday announced that the investigation into the suicide of Assistant Engineer Joshita Das will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), amid mounting allegations of harassment and corruption involving senior government officials.
“We have taken the matter of the suicide of an Assistant Engineer and the allegations against officials very seriously,” Sarma stated. “To ensure an impartial and thorough probe, we are handing the case over to the CBI.”
We have taken the matter of the suicide of an Assistant Engineer and the allegations against officials very seriously.
We will be handing over the case to CBI to ensure an impartial and thorough probe into the matter. pic.twitter.com/P6OWWhMR5W
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 31, 2025
The announcement comes days after a third arrest was made in connection with the case. Devajit Sharma, a consultant for the Barshanagar Mini Stadium project in Bongaigaon, was taken into custody around 4:50 PM on Friday. He was reportedly named in the suicide note left by Das, a young engineer with the Public Works Department (PWD).
Earlier, on July 23, police had arrested Dinesh Sharma Medhi, a Superintendent Engineer, and Aminul Islam, a Sub-Divisional Officer. All three individuals now face charges of abetment to suicide under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Das was found dead at her rented residence in Barpara, Bongaigaon, under circumstances that drew immediate public attention. In her suicide note, she alleged prolonged mental harassment by senior officials who, she claimed, coerced her to approve fraudulent bills linked to the mini stadium construction at Borsojgaon in the Gossaigaon Assembly constituency.
The project was executed by M/s Achetic Creations, reportedly without proper architectural plans or site supervision. Das wrote that she was forced to authorize payments despite these glaring deficiencies. The contractor, Rudra Pathak, allegedly failed to appoint a site engineer, leaving Das to manage execution duties alone.
The suicide note further named Devajit Sharma, accusing him of submitting flawed cost estimates and ignoring her technical objections. Das also alleged that even after their transfers, both Medhi and Islam continued to pressure her from their new posts, which she said severely impacted her mental well-being.
