30-yr-old scientist commits suicide

A 30-year-old woman scientist, employee of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute here, allegedly committed suicide at her residence in Pusa complex of southwest Delhi, police said on Thursday.

Puja Rai, a native of UP, married a Gurgaon-based businessman in November last. While her husband lives in Gurgaon she occasionally lived at a government flat allotted to her close to her workplace inside the Pusa complex, a senior official said.

The incident came to light around 9 am on Thursday when her relatives came to her flat and found her hanging from a ceiling fan. They informed the police and a team was rushed there immediately.

The police recovered a suicide note from the spot and later an inquest was initiated into the matter, the official said.

Rai returned from her in-laws’ residence on Wednesday evening and did not take any calls since then. This worried her relatives and they went on to check on her on Thursday morning. In the suicide note she has not clearly mentioned about why she took the extreme step and did not hold anyone responsible for the same, police said.

Meanwhile, the body has been sent for postmortem examination and the time of death is yet to be ascertained, the official added. 

Among researchers at IARI, Rai was known as a genius and a hardworking person who was too much focused on her career. According to reports, the deceased was under depression for last couple of days but the exact cause of it is yet not known. A year ago Rai was accommodated in staff quarters by the IRAI authorities, where she was found dead.

The cops at Pusa Road police station are also questioning Rai’s friends and her research guide. The cops are also waiting to record statement of Rai’s family members, especially her mother and father who live in Delhi. Further investigation is underway, said police.