2 min readPuneMay 15, 2026 12:57 AM IST
A watchman at the Sinhagad College of Engineering allegedly died by suicide on the hostel campus due to non-payment of his salary on Wednesday.
Police identified the deceased as Sameer Madhavrao Dabholkar (53), a resident of Swaraj Heights, Sai Nagar, in Hingne Khurd area of Pune city.
Police said before ending his life Dabholkar posted a video on his wife’s cellphone in which he mentioned that he did not get his salary. His son Vrushabh Dabholkar (22) lodged the FIR at the Bharatiya Vidyapeeth police station.
As per the FIR, the police booked Sinhagad College of Engineering founder Maruti Nivrutti Navale, secretary Sunanda Maruti Navale, vice presidents Rachana Navale Ashtekar and Rahul Maruti Navale and other office-bearers, under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 3(5).
The FIR stated that Dabholkar worked as a watchman at the college since June 15, 2002. He did not get his salary for the last 42 months. Due to financial problems and debts, he was under severe tension and died by suicide at a room in Panhala hostel around 2.20 pm on Wednesday.
Senior police inspector Rahul Khilare said, “The FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint received from the family of the deceased watchman.”
Khilare said the deceased posted a video of seven seconds to his wife on her WhatsApp number before dying by suicide, in which he said “Pagar zalela nahi (Salary not received)….”
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“Accused persons have not been arrested yet. We are investigating the case further,” said Khilare.
In 2023, an FIR was lodged against Maruti Navale at the Kondhwa police station in connection with an alleged Provident Fund (PF) scam of about Rs 70.9 lakh. Also, in 2017, the CBI had registered a case against Navale regarding a Rs 58.04 crore loan fraud involving Central Bank of India officials.
