sciencemental-healthBengaluruADAworkplace-stress
47-Year-Old Ada Scientist Katiyar Dies by Suicide in Bengaluru
Published: October 27, 2026
ADA scientist Sharad Katiyar, 47, jumped from a residential building in Seegehalli, Bengaluru, on Oct 21, 2024. The family alleges sustained work‑related stress contributed to his death, prompting an ongoing police investigation.
After a month of escalating stress on the LCA Mk2 programme, Katiyar sought psychiatric help at NIMHANS on Oct 21, where a depressive episode was diagnosed.
Police reports place the fatal jump between 7:30 and 8:00 pm from the fourth‑floor balcony of a Seegehalli apartment complex, and the body was declared dead on arrival at a K.S. Halli private hospital.
An Unnatural Death Report under Section 194 of the BNSS was filed, and investigators collected statements from Katiyar’s wife, parents, and neighbours, yet no witnesses confirmed he was under extreme pressure at work.
ADA Director Krishna Rajendra said the agency was unaware of any work‑pressure complaints and that its employees typically worked 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, dismissing the family’s claim.
The family insists the relentless deadlines for the LCA Mk2 programme triggered a depressive crisis, a claim the police are still probing with no independent evidence yet.
Until the investigation concludes, no formal link between occupational stress and Katiyar’s suicide will be established, and the ADA may review its mental‑health support protocols.