A 37-year-old man died by suicide after allegedly jumping in front of an approaching Namma Metro train at Huskur Road station on Bengaluru's Yellow Line on Monday, July 27, disrupting services for more than two hours.
The deceased was identified as Rajesh S Hiremath, a native of Raichur who was living in Ananthanagar near Hebbagodi. Police said he was unmarried and had previously worked as a lecturer, content writer and editor for a digital news platform. He had also worked as a social media content creator for a private media organisation before quitting around four months ago. Police suspect he had been struggling with depression linked to job-related, financial and personal issues, though no suicide note was found.
According to police, Hiremath rode his scooter to Huskur Road Metro station, parked it there and went to the upline platform. At around 5.50 pm, he allegedly jumped onto the tracks in front of a train travelling from Bommasandra towards RV Road.
Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said the train operator noticed a person on the tracks and immediately applied the emergency brakes before alerting the Operations Control Centre (OCC). However, the train could not be brought to a halt in time.
"The on-duty station controller and security personnel immediately initiated the prescribed safety procedures, and traction power was switched off as a precautionary measure," BMRCL said in a statement.
Station staff and Metro security personnel were deployed to the site, while police were informed immediately. Rescue and recovery operations were carried out jointly by Metro authorities and the police, following which the affected platform was secured and mandatory procedures, including track clearance and safety inspections, were completed.
The incident disrupted train operations on the Yellow Line between 5.55 pm and around 8 pm. Services were suspended at Huskur Road, Hebbagodi, Electronics City and Bommasandra stations, with trains operating only between RV Road and Electronics City during the disruption. Traction power was restored at 7.42 pm after statutory safety checks, and full services resumed by 7.57 pm.
Throughout the disruption, BMRCL said passengers were informed through public announcements at stations and inside trains, while Passenger Information Display Systems (PIDS) were updated regularly. Station staff also guided commuters on alternative travel arrangements.
As a contingency measure, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) operated two bus services each from Bommasandra and Electronics City Metro stations to assist stranded passengers. BMRCL also said refunds would be issued to affected passengers, with refunds for online tickets involving curtailed journeys to be processed separately.
Police have registered a case of unnatural death at the Hebbagodi Police Station and are continuing their investigation.
The incident is the fourth reported suicide on the Namma Metro network since services began in 2011, and the third since March 2024. According to BMRCL data, between 2012 and 2025, four people died by suicide after jumping in front of Metro trains, while at least 16 suicide attempts, 23 incidents of unauthorised entry onto tracks and seven accidental falls onto tracks have been recorded. Earlier this month, a woman who jumped onto the tracks at Rajajinagar Metro station was rescued by security personnel.
In the wake of repeated incidents, BMRCL has proposed installing platform screen doors across all Metro stations to prevent suicides, accidents and unauthorised access to the tracks. The corporation estimates the project will cost Rs 1,273.83 crore, including new installations at Phase 3A stations and retrofitting civil, signalling, telecommunication and electrical systems at existing stations.