‘Depressed’ constable drowns self

A 30-year-old police constable, Vinod Kashinath Pardhi of Vasai police station, committed suicide allegedly owing to depression.

According to sources, Pardhi was suspended after a woman officer made a few complaints against him for passing comments at her. After these complaints, Pardhi was suspended and was apparently depressed since then.

According to police sources, Pardhi had gone missing since Saturday and his wife had reported this to the police. Later, in the early hours of Sunday, his body was recovered near the seashore in Panju area. The body was sent for autopsy on Sunday afternoon.

Commenting on the incident, a senior officer from Vasai police station said, “Vinod Pardhi was working with the Vasai police station and he drowned. For now we believe that he committed suicide, as he was depressed due to his suspension from service.”

No suicide note was recovered from Pardhi. His family members, in their statement to the police, stated that the police probe against him was responsible for his death. According to them, he was depressed due to the inquiry being conducted on him.

Speaking on Pardhi’s suspension, a senior official told The Asian Age that a woman police officer had filed a complaint against Pardhi a few months ago for passing lewd comments at her. Later, the same officer again filed a complaint against Pardhi stating that he has been threatening and abusing her for complaining about him.

On the officer’s complaint, an offence was registered against Pardhi under Sections 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) 352 (punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of IPC on December 6, last year. Accordingly, Pardhi was suspended on January 25 and an investigation was ordered against him. Pardhi, is survived by wife and two daughters.