Family members and office colleagues of Harihara Behera at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, March 7: A 48-year-old central government employee today jumped to his death from the eighth floor of the nine-storeyed building, popularly known as Nautala.

The man, identified as Harihara Behera, was an employee in the Jagmara office of directorate general of employment and training (DGET) under the Union labour ministry. He was rushed to Capital Hospital to be declared brought dead. Behera, who is survived by his wife and two school-going daughters, was a resident of Jagmara near the Gandamunda square.

The reason behind his suicide was not known. However, Behera committed suicide a few minutes after he had visited a doctor. Police sources said he had been suffering from a disease affecting his spinal chord for the past seven months.

“He had come to a doctor in the Unit II area this morning. Later, he went to the nine-storeyed building and jumped from the eighth floor,” said a police officer.

On hearing the news the family members and colleagues of the deceased said Behera was not the suicidal type.

“Around 9am, he told his wife that he was going to draw money from ATM and then consult the doctor. He did not come to the office and later we heard about his death,” said Kamal Chandra Nandi, one of Behera’s colleagues.

However, his family members suspected foul play. “He used to go to the nine-storeyed building occasionally. We fear he might have been pushed from behind from the eighth floor,” alleged his brother Niranjan Behera.

Eyewitnesses said they had heard a loud thud around 11am. After searching for a while, they spotted a man lying in a pool of blood on roof of the first floor portico. He was groaning in pain.

Since the man was not working in the building, initially, there was confusion about his identity. Even those, working at the eighth floor offices, were not sure as to how he had managed to reach there and jumped off without being noticed.