A prominent researcher affiliated with the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) was taken into custody following the tragic death of a 30-year-old PhD student under his supervision, who reportedly took her own life after enduring alleged harassment and molestation. This incident occurred at her home in Chinchwad, Pune, on Saturday.
The detained individual has been identified as Dr. A Benniamin, who serves as the head of the BSI office located in Pune’s Koregaon Park area.
Law enforcement officials indicated that the student had left behind a suicide note attributing her decision to her mentor’s actions. The First Information Report (FIR) was filed at the local police station following a complaint from the student’s father.
The FIR claims that the alleged inappropriate conduct, mistreatment, and psychological distress inflicted by Dr. Benniamin since August 2025 led to the student’s tragic decision to end her life early Saturday morning.
Dr. Benniamin has been charged under sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 74 (assault or criminal force to a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police inspector Bhojraj Misal stated that the accused appeared before the court on Sunday.
“The court has remanded him into police custody until April 15. The victim had been pursuing her PhD for the past two years. She left a note blaming Dr. Benniamin for her actions. An ongoing investigation is underway,” Misal added.
