Overview
- Police arrested Dr A. Benniamin after Saturday’s death of a 30-year-old PhD student in Chinchwad, which she blamed on her guide in a note.
- A Pune court remanded him to police custody until April 15 as investigators analyze the note and a written apology he gave her on April 9.
- The FIR, filed by the student’s father, invokes Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 108 for abetment of suicide and 74 for assault to outrage a woman’s modesty.
- Investigating officer Bhojraj Misal said Benniamin is a senior Botanical Survey of India official in Koregaon Park, and police are recording statements from BSI staff.
- The case has focused attention on power imbalances in doctoral supervision and student safety in research settings, with Pune NGOs publicizing helplines for mental-health support.