A 42-year-old man, identified as Satish, and his two daughters, Keerthi and Monisha aged 14 and 18 respectively, died by suicide in Anekal taluk adjoining Bengaluru city on Wednesday, June 30, media reports said. Police suspect that the family was dejected after Asha, the mother of the two girls, died due to COVID-19 in April. A note was recovered from their Ambedkar Colony residence, which claimed that there was no foul play involved in their death. The Times of India reported that the note said other than the death of Asha, Satish’s unemployment was another reason for their distress. According to The Hindu, Satish’s father found their bodies at their residence. Satish’s father was worried after his son did not respond to his calls. Following this, neighbours who came to know about the incident called the police. A case of unnatural death has been registered at the Attibele Police Station.
This incident comes after earlier this week, a family of six died by suicide in Karnataka’s Yadgir district, as they were under debt from a private lender. Neighbours of the family had said that they were subjected to harassment by the lender. The family was mainly dependent on income from their farm, but they could not sell their produce due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown, which mired them in debt.The family consisted of Bhimaraya Surapura (45) and Shantamma (36), with their children Sumitra (13), Sridevi (12), Shivaraj (9) and Lakshmi (8).
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.