Missing woman scientist from BARC returns home in Mumbai

The woman scientist from BARC, who had gone missing from her residence accusing her seniors of harassment, has returned to her residence in Navi Mumbai from Puducherry, where she had been traced, police said.

Police will now record the statement of the 30-year-old scientist. Babita Singh, a junior scientist with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), had gone missing from January 23 from her residence in Nerul in adjoining Navi Mumbai.

“The scientist, who had gone missing, returned to her residence yesterday and now police will record her statement,” Prashant Khaire, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-1) said.

Before her disappearance, she had sent a mail to her brother and colleagues on January 23 accusing her seniors of harassment.

In the mail, she had reportedly said that she preferred “to end life in one shot instead of dying everyday”.

She had left her residence and remained untraceable.  Her cell phone was also found in her residence. Her family members had approached Nerul Police Station and had lodged a missing person’s complaint.

However, Babita decided to get in touch with her family after reading reports about her disappearance in media.  She called her brother on January 26 and told him that she was in a Puducherry ashram and had taken the step as she was fed up with harassment by seniors, police said.

“Now its up to her whether she wants to lodge a complaint of harassment against her seniors. Otherwise it will be BARC’s internal administrative issue,” DCP Khaire added.