Maharashtra: Range Forest Officer of Harisal dies by suicide

Amravati Superintendent of Police Hari Balaji told The Indian Express, “RFO Deepali Chavan of Harisal shot herself with her service pistol on Thursday evening. We are yet to get more details,” Balaji said.

Chavan was alone at home when she shot herself, police said. She used to stay with her mother, while her husband works as Treasury Officer at Chikhaldara, also in Melghat. He reached Harisal after hearing the news, police said. “Her mother had left for Satara today itself,” Balaji said.

According to police, Chavan has left a suicide note running into 8 or 9 pages.

Melghat Field Director Srinivas Reddy said, “She was a very dynamic officer and worked very hard for the rehabilitation of Melghat villages in her jurisdiction. It’s really sad to hear she took the extreme step.”

Chavan, who was from a nomadic tribe, was accused of violating the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, by some residents from Mangia village, who she was trying to evict from the land they had reoccupied after leaving the place under a rehabilitation package.