BHUBANESWAR: THE suspicious drowning death of Nalco employee Samir Kumar Patra took a dramatic turn on Wednesday with the recovery of a purported suicide note from the banks of Bindusagar tank. The note said, “Nobody is responsible for my death. Mental disorder.” Patra’s body was recovered from the tank on Tuesday evening.
The note, scribbled on Nalco’s official notepad, had Patra’s full name, his employee code, designation, department, organisation’s name, work location and residential address in it. The contents of the letter have put the investigators in a fix. The question now arises - Did Patra write the letter himself willingly or was he forced to write it? “The letter has been sent for forensic examination. Handwriting samples of Patra from his home and office will be cross-examined for a match,” Police Commissioner YB Khurania said.
While his colleagues agreed that the handwriting on the note bore striking resemblance to that of Patra’s, they denied any manifestation of anxiety or stress in him that could haveprompted him to take the extreme step. However, police sources said Patra had a history of mental disorder for which he was under medication in the past. Patra was unwell and on leave since 10 days before joining duty on Tuesday. He was suffering from a stomach ailment for which he had undergone a minor surgery, said a colleague who was informed by Patra himself about this condition. On the fateful day, Patra reached home at 5 pm and informed his wife that he was going to Cuttack and instead went to Bindusagar. Police are verifying under what circumstances Patra lied to his wife and went to Bindusagar. Patra did not use his own vehicle to travel. Whether he was alone or someone accompanied him to the tank? Did any CCTV cameras on the premises capture Patra’s arrival near Bindusagar? These questions are under probe, police sources said. “It would be premature to arrive at any conclusion on whether it was an accident or a case of suicide. The post-mortem report is awaited,” Khurania added. A native of Karanjia in Mayurbhanj district, Patra joined Nalco in 1989. He was working as an Assistant General Manager in Materials Department at the Corporate Office of the company here.
Patra is survived by his wife and a daughter who resides at Jaydev Vihar.