Jt secy critically hurt after fall from 4th floor in office

Kolkata: A senior official of the food and supplies department was critically injured after falling from a fourth-floor stairwell balcony of Khadya Bhavan on Monday morning. The incident has triggered a probe into whether it was an accident or an attempt to die by suicide.

Indradeb Bhattacharya (51), a joint secretary-rank official and nodal officer of the department, was taken to SSKM Hospital, where sources said the Bhowanipore resident sustained serious injuries to his head, face and eyes. He is under treatment in a critical condition.

The incident occurred shortly after office hours began at the state govt headquarters of the food and supplies department in central Kolkata. CCTV footage reportedly showed him heading to the sixth floor. Officials are yet to determine why he went up.

“It is not yet clear whether this was an accident or an attempt by him to end his life. We are trying to establish what happened in the minutes before the fall,” an official said.

Employees and visitors were startled by a loud thud that echoed through the premises.

“When we reached the spot, we saw a man lying on the ground floor. Nobody could immediately understand how he had fallen,” an employee said.

Ajay Das, a departmental driver present on the ground floor, said he witnessed the aftermath of the incident. “We were sitting downstairs when we saw him fall from above. He was unconscious and was taken to the hospital,” Das said.

The fall has also prompted questions about Bhattacharya’s health and whether he had been suffering from any medical condition that could have contributed to the incident. However, colleagues said they were unaware of any such ailment.

Officials said the area where the officer landed was full of dumped furniture, and it was immediately cordoned off as investigators began collecting evidence. Departmental employees were also questioned to determine whether Bhattacharya had displayed any sign of distress or unusual behaviour before the incident.

Doctors at SSKM Hospital said he was admitted in the red zone of the Trauma Care Centre with multiple injuries — head, neck, chest, limb, and others. “His condition is extremely critical. We are unable to investigate the extent of injury in detail as this will mean subjecting him to various investigative tests. Our first priority is to stabilise his condition,” said a doctor .