A chief manager at a Bank of Baroda branch in Baramati, Pune district, has died by suicide, citing work pressure in a suicide note. The incident occurred on the night of Thursday, July 17, 2025. Shiv Shankar Mitra, 52, was found dead within the bank premises.

Mitra, a native of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, had been working as the Chief Manager at the Bhigwan Road branch of Bank of Baroda. According to police reports, a suicide note was recovered from the scene, where Mitra stated he was taking the extreme step due to "bank work pressure". His body was taken to a hospital for post-mortem.

Police Inspector Vilas Nale of Baramati City Police Station stated that Mitra had submitted his resignation on July 11, 2025, citing health issues and work pressure. The resignation letter was also received from the bank by the police. According to the police, the bank authorities had not relieved Mitra from his duties because of a mandatory 90-day notice period.

In his suicide note, Mitra stated that every bank employee was contributing to their fullest and that the bank should not put any work pressure on them. He did not blame any bank officials directly in his suicide note. He also apologized to his wife and daughter for ending his life and requested that his eyes be donated, if possible. His emotional message to his family read, "Priya, forgive me. Mahi, forgive me!".

The police have filed an accidental death report and are currently conducting further investigations into the case. They are probing whether any bank officials had caused Mitra additional work pressure. Senior police inspector Nale said that the manager had gone to the bank as usual on Thursday and stayed there after all the other staff members had left. When Mitra didn't return home late at night, his wife called him, but he did not respond. Subsequently, she called the bank's staff members, and the peon went to the bank and found the doors open. The peon then discovered Mitra hanging from the ceiling in his cabin.

The incident has brought to light the increasing mental stress faced by banking employees and the need to address their well-being. Mitra's suicide note reveals the immense pressure he was under, leading him to request voluntary retirement five days prior, which apparently did not elicit any response from senior officials. In his suicide note, Mitra wrote, "I, Shivshankar Mitra, Chief Manager, Bank of Baroda, Baramati, am committing suicide due to the additional pressure from the bank... Please do not put such pressure on other staff members. Everyone is doing their job with full dedication". He also clarified that he was taking the step on his own accord and that no one from his family should be held responsible.

Bank authorities have not yet responded to queries regarding the incident.