BARC scientist hangs himself

AUGUST 18: A Bhabha Atomic Research Scientist committed suicide on Thursday afternoon by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his house. ...

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AUGUST 18: A Bhabha Atomic Research Scientist committed suicide on Thursday afternoon by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his house. The scientist, Avdesh Chandra Arjun Saxena, aged 43, was a Scientific Officer in Grade D.

BARC sources say that Saxena was due for a promotion to Grade E. They also assert that he had excellent relations with his bosses. At the time of his death, he was posted to the Training School of the BARC and was in charge of foreign trainees.

Sources at Rajawadi Hospital, where the post mortem was performed estimate the time of death to be around 11 a.m. The body wqs discovered by his son and uncle at about 1.30 p.m.

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The post mortem revealed that going by the upward thrust of the ligature resulting from the manner of his death — Saxena used a saree to hang himself — there was no doubt that death was due to suicide by hanging. Moreover, there was no evidence of foul play and there were no marks of struggle or otherwise anywhere on his body.

Also, according to the police, the door was locked when the son came back from school to open the door with the keys he had for the self-locking system. The deceased’s wife, a school teacher, was at work and apparently that was not the time when anyone was at home. Opening the door, the son, who was accompanied by his uncle was shocked to find his father hanging from the ceiling fan.

Dr S P Garg, head of the Training School division was quoted by PTI as having said that Saxena was a hard working person with a very good academic record and was in-charge of trainees from abroad.

Despite claims by the BARC that Saxena had no conflict with his work environment, other sources in BARC say that Saxena, a brilliant scientist, was not happy with his assignment. A senior BARC source also said that postings to the Training School normally involved personnel who were found wanting in research expertise, an unstated reason to shunt inconvenient scientists to that place. Friends said that Saxena was normally a jovial and committed personality who had an harmonious domestic environment. Reliable sources say that police are working on the theory that job dis-satisfaction led to the suicide.However, BARC denied there was any conflict with his work environ`ment.