Hospital staffer arrested for abetting the suicide of Dr Shirish Walsangkar

PUNE: A staff member of the S P Institute of Neurosciences has been arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of renowned physician Dr Shirish Walsangkar. On Saturday, Solapur city police booked one Manisha Mane Musale as her name was mentioned in the suicide note recovered by the police.

M Rajkumar, Solapur police commissioner, said, “Yes, a suicide note was recovered. One admin officer of the hospital, Manisha Mane, has been mentioned as reason. Accordingly, a case has been registered with the Sadar Bazar police station last night and further investigation is underway.” On Sunday, the arrested accused was produced in court which granted her three days’ police custody. Police inspector Ajit Lakade is investigating the case further.

According to the police, Dr Walsangkar penned the suicide note in which he alleged that a person he had mentored and appointed as the hospital’s administrative officer had made false and filthy accusations against him, leading to mental harassment. The police also got a copy of an email dated April 17, 2025 sent by Mane to Dr Walsangkar in which she expressed distress over alleged rumours and personal attacks against her, and hinted at suicide if the situation wasn’t addressed. The police investigation revealed that following the email, Dr Walsangkar reportedly called Mane to the hospital where she apologised. However later that evening, Dr Walsangkar was found dead at his residence having committed suicide using a revolver. The police have launched a detailed investigation into the incident.

Investigators are now looking into the nature of the allegations levelled by Mane, the intent behind them, and whether any other individuals are involved. The police also stated in court that they intend to collect handwriting samples from the accused and verify the contents of the suicide note. Mane’s lawyer, Prashant Navghire, refuted the allegations and said that the email in question was merely a response to concerns over salary deductions. “Manisha has been working at the hospital since 2008. She only emailed the doctor asking that her salary should not be reduced and expressed her distress over rumours. There were no financial or personal allegations against Dr Walsangkar,” Navghire said. Whereas the defence argued that a respected doctor like Dr Walsangkar could not have taken such a drastic step based solely on the contents of the email. The defence claimed that a false case has been filed against Mane to suppress the real facts. After hearing both sides, the court granted three days of police custody to continue the investigation. The defence stated that they will file for bail once the custody period ends.

Help is a call away

Pune-based NGO - Connecting - works towards providing support to those in emotional distress using the philosophy of mindfulness-based active listening, thereby preventing suicide. Helpline numbers: 1800-209-4353 (toll-free) and 9922001122 all days, 12 pm to 8 pm. Walk-in facility: 12 pm to 5 pm, Monday – Saturday. Email: connectingngo@gmail.com