Bank of Baroda Officers Union moves Supreme Court seeking justice in Pune Suicide Case

All India Bank of Baroda Officers’ Union has approached the Supreme Court of India to order inquiry into the suicide case of Chief Manager in Pune.

Shri Shiv Shankar Mitra, Chief Manager, committed suicide within the branch premises in Baramati Pune, leaving behind a suicide note explicitly citing unsustainable work pressure as the reason forcing him to take this extreme step.

This is not an isolated case of personal distress; it is a grim reflection of a systemically toxic, exploitative, and humiliating work culture fostered within Bank of Baroda under the current executive leadership, which has been driving officers into severe mental agony, psychological trauma, and in cases like this, death.

About the Incident:

1. The deceased, Shri Shiv Shankar Mitra, was serving as Chief Manager at Bank of Baroda, Baramati Branch.
2. On 17th July 2025, he was found hanging in the branch premises itself, having ended his life during or after prolonged working hours.
3. He left a suicide note clearly pointing out that extreme, unsustainable work pressure was the reason for taking this step.
4. This tragedy occurred within the institutional precincts of the Bank, making it not merely a personal tragedy but an institutional crime driven by coercive, inhuman work conditions imposed by the Bank’s top executives and HR policies.

Background of Toxic Work Culture prevailing in Bank of Baroda

Bank of Baroda, once an institution known for public service, has degenerated into adopting exploitative private sector methods, disregarding the welfare, dignity, and mental health of its officers. The Union has said that the current leadership’s:

• Consistent late-night video conferences with humiliating and insulting language,
• Imposition of unachievable targets without manpower or resources,
• Forcing officers to work under severe stress and fear of transfers, punishments, and public humiliations,
• Creating a toxic atmosphere of fear, mental harassment, and overburdening,

have created a situation that amounts to systematic psychological torture.

Legal Case

This incident cannot be brushed aside as personal incapacity or isolated distress. This is a clear case of abetment to suicide under Section 108 BNS, and it amounts to institutional murder under the gaze of law.

In light of these grave facts, the union has earnestly requested the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India to:

1. Take suo motu cognizance of the incident in the larger public interest to address systemic institutional harassment in public sector banks.
2. Order a judicial probe or a high-level independent inquiry under the supervision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court to investigate the circumstances and direct accountability of Bank of Baroda’s top executives and HR leadership that led to the tragic death of Shri Shiv Shankar Mitra.
3. Direct registration of criminal cases under appropriate sections of the BNS, including Section 108 (abetment to suicide), against the responsible executives of Bank of Baroda, based on the findings of the judicial probe.
4. Issue appropriate guidelines to ensure the prevention of institutional harassment, toxic work environments, and mental cruelty within public sector banks, to protect officers from being driven to such extremes in the future.
5. Direct interim monetary and employment-related relief to the family of Shri Shiv Shankar Mitra, recognizing the institutional responsibility in the tragic loss of life while on duty.

The Officers of Bank of Baroda have expressed their utmost faith in the Hon’ble Supreme Court to uphold justice for Shri Shiv Shankar Mitra and for countless officers across India who are silently suffering under institutional exploitation within public sector banks.

The Officers have requested the Supreme Court to treat this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves to prevent further institutional murders under the garb of work pressure in the name of organizational interests.