A government lawyer, Advocate Vinayak Chandel (47), was found hanging inside Wadwani court, leaving behind a note blaming JMFC Rafiq Shaikh and a clerk. Police have registered a case under BNS Section 108 for alleged abetment of suicide.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Maharashtra): On August 22, A serious case of alleged abetment of suicide was filed against a Judicial Magistrate and a court clerk in Wadwani after a government lawyer was found dead inside the court premises.
The deceased lawyer has been identified as Advocate Vinayak Chandel (47). According to the police, he allegedly ended his life by hanging himself in the local court building. The shocking incident was discovered on Friday morning when court staff opened the courtroom and found him.
During the investigation, the police recovered a suicide note from the spot. In this note, Chandel directly named Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Rafiq Shaikh and a clerk identified as Tayde.
The note, as well as the complaint filed by his son, pointed towards continuous humiliation and harassment faced by the lawyer at his workplace.
As per the complaint, Advocate Chandel had been serving as a government counsel at the Wadwani court since January 2025. His family members informed the police that in recent weeks he was under severe stress.
He had told them that Judge Rafiq Shaikh, who had recently taken charge at the court, regularly
“humiliated and harassed without any reason.”
The complaint further stated that even clerk Tayde spoke to him in a disrespectful manner. Chandel had told his family that
“Tayde too used disrespectful words for him.”
The suicide note also clearly mentioned his grievances. It stated that
“JMFC Rafiq Shaikh humiliates me before everyone and doesn’t listen to me” and further added that “Tayde who issues summons also doesn’t co-operate with him.”
The note ended with Chandel’s heartbreaking statement that he
“had no option left other than suicide.”
Following this, the police registered a case under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with abetment of suicide, against both Judicial Magistrate Rafiq Shaikh and clerk Tayde. Police officials confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and further details will be revealed after inquiry.
