IAS officer ends life by jumping before train

Gagan Behari Swain, an Indian Administrative Service(IAS) officer, committed suicide by jumping before a running train at the city railway station here on Tuesday evening. The 58-year-old officer was serving as an additional secretary in the state government’s planning and coordination department. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Swain’s tragic death, just days before the marriage ceremony of his second son, has sent shockwaves in the official and senior bureaucratic circles here. His youngest son was to get married on June 30. Invitation cards had already been distributed. His first son is working abroad.

Police quoting eyewitnesses said the officer was standing on platform number three of the city railways station when he suddenly jumped before the approaching Howrah-Puri passenger train. He died on the spot. The driver and assistant driver of the train in their memo submitted to the station master of the Bhubaneswar railway station and the GRP have also confirmed that the IAS officer jumped before the train as the locomotive was approaching the station.

Swain attended office on Tuesday. The police have launched an investigation as to what prompted the officer to take the extreme step.

Some members of his family have denied discord, claiming instead  that Swain was under pressure for the past few days for some office-related matter.

They have demanded a detailed inquiry into the incident by the crime branch of the state police.

Official sources in the secretariat said Swain was recently transferred as the managing director of Cuttack based Odisha Small Industries Corporation Limited. However, his transfer was cancelled after he expressed his reluctance to join his new posting.

Swain had joined the Odisha Administrative Service(OAS) in 1970s. He was promoted as an IAS officer in 1999.