Pune, 12th April 2026: A 30-year-old PhD scholar in botany was found dead at her residence in Shahunagar, in what police suspect to be a case of suicide linked to alleged harassment by her research supervisor.
According to a complaint lodged by her father at Bhosari MIDC Police Station, the woman had been facing continuous mental harassment and inappropriate conduct from her guide, Dr. A. Binniyamin, who serves as an assistant director at the Botanical Survey of India, since August 2025.
Investigators said a note recovered from the scene suggests the scholar was under severe emotional distress and struggling to cope with the situation. The complaint also states that shortly before her death, the accused had submitted a written apology on stamp paper, assuring that his alleged behaviour would stop.
Police have taken the accused into custody, and he has been remanded to judicial custody until April 15. The incident has sparked concern over the safety of research scholars and the need for stronger accountability mechanisms within academic and research institutions.
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