Who was Forest Officer Dipali Chavan Mohite, 28, who Died By Suicide In Amravati?

Who was Dipali Chavan-Mohite? Five days after a 28-year-old woman Range Forest Officer, Dipali Chavan-Mohite, died by suicide at her home in Amravati, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday suspended a top Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer in connection with the alleged sexual harassment and suicide case, officials said.

M.S. Reddy, who served as an Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), has been suspended four days after he was removed from his post on March 26 and awaited a new posting, Mumbai Mirror reported.

Who was Dipali Chavan-Mohite?

1. 28-year-old RFO, Chavan-Mohite reportedly shot herself at her official quarters in the Harisal village near the tiger reserve on Thursday. She used her service revolver. Her body was recovered with the gun and reportedly her relatives and colleagues found her at her home.

2. In a purported suicide note addressed to IFS officer Reddy, Chavan-Mohite accused IFoS officer B. Vinod Shivkumar of sexual harassment and torture.

3. Chavan-Mohite was popularly known as the 'Lady Singham' of the forests for carrying out tough operations. She had carried out various fearless acts against dreaded jungle mafias and local politicians engaged in different types of illegal activities in the forests.

4. Five years ago, in her official vehicle, Chavan-Mohite displayed huge courage by nabbing a gang of forest smugglers who were escaping by a train to Madhya Pradesh.

5. She had joined the Maharashtra government service in 2013 and had been dealing with illegal encroachments in forests.

6. She was recently married in 2020 and got pregnant in early-February. When Shivkumar had asked the deceased RFO to accompany him on a three-day forest patrol, on the assignment, she was made to walk and drive for three days, hundreds of kilometers. The officer ignored her maternal condition and as a result, she suffered a miscarriage, a colleague close to her told IANS on condition of anonymity.

7. She went into deep depression after that and recovered only when her single-mother Shakuntala Chavan, who rushed to Amravati from Satara, took care of her.

8. Her husband Rajesh Mohite is working as a Treasury Officer in Chikhaldhara, while her mother had gone to her native Satara when she took the extreme step.

9. It has also been reported that when Chavan-Mohite had approached Reddy to complain about Shivkumar, all her pleas were reportedly ignored.

10. Dipali Chavan-Mohite was known for her integrity and unparalleled dedication towards her duty.