An officer with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Department allegedly committed suicide at his workplace at the World Trade Centre in Cuffe Parade on Monday evening.
According to the Cuffe Parade police, the deceased, Harendra Kapadia (51), worked as a superintendent with the GST office. The police said Kapadia took the extreme step on the 30th floor of his office building around 6.30 p.m. on Monday.
“Eyewitnesses rushed him to GT Hospital, where he was declared dead before admission. Subsequent inquiries revealed that he had been suffering from a brain tumour, and had stopped going to work around 10 months ago because his illness was causing him dementia. He had also undergone a brain surgery. He had only resumed work a few days ago,” an officer with the Cuffe Parade police said.
The officer said although no suicide note was found on Kapadia’s person or at his Andheri residence, prima facie his extreme step is being attributed to his illness.
“We have also made inquires with Kapadia’s son, who has given a statement saying he does not suspect any foul play or abetment to suicide in connection with his father’s death. Our own inquiries, too, have not thrown up any indications of his death being anything other than suicide,” the officer said.
The police have for the moment filed an accidental death report. They are conducting inquiries with his colleagues to find out if anyone had noticed any extreme changes in his behaviour over the past few days, or if he had confided in anyone about having suicidal thoughts, officers said.
