Haryana govt official jumps to death from 6th floor of civil secretariat in Chandigarh; workplace stress angle probed

CHANDIGARH: Ganesh Das Arora, 58, a special secretary posted at the Haryana civil secretariat and attached with a senior IAS officer, allegedly ended his life by jumping from the sixth floor of his office building in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

Police recovered a suicide note from the spot which stated that he was "under no pressure from either family or office" and did not blame anyone for his actions.

Police are, however, still probing whether workplace stress or harassment played a role. The note is likely to be sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory for handwriting verification.



Sources suggest that Arora, a resident of Sushma Enclave, Zirakpur, had been distressed recently due to a department (branch) transfer. He was to retire in Oct.

According to eyewitnesses, the victim rose from his chair around 12:30 pm, walked to the sixth-floor balcony and jumped before security personnel or colleagues could intervene. The investigation revealed that Arora had attempted to jump from the secretariat roof approximately 15 days ago, but was stopped and calmed by his colleagues at the time.

The deceased's wife, Uma Arora, is posted at the Haryana Raj Bhavan. As of now, the family has not issued an official statement.