A 23-year-old hailing from Chidambaram jumped off the fourth floor in Forum Vijaya Mall in Chennai’s Vadapalani on Friday afternoon. He was, however, miraculously saved by a guard who was on duty on the ground floor and caught the falling man, minimising his injuries.
The incident left the two severely injured. Speaking to TNM, Vadapalani Inspector Chandru says, “Both of them were rushed to the Vijaya Health Centre close by. The guard, Devasagayam (40), has sustained a minor fracture on his right leg and is being taken into surgery. The youth who jumped has fractured his ribs, ankle and spine. However, doctors say that he is out of danger.”
The youth, identified as Sabarinathan, has been living with his friends in Kumananchavadi and had studied civil engineering at DMI Engineering College near Nazarathpet. He was staying with his friends and preparing to clear four arrear papers.
Following the incident, the police informed his father Kuselan, a retired garden supervisor at Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC).
Initial investigations revealed that Sabarinathan had uploaded a video on his Facebook account explaining the reason behind his decision. In the 42-minute video he talks about the reservation system, the role of caste in society and expresses his anger against society in general. He also talks about NEET exams saying the poor are at a disadvantage and that state board students are not able to cope with the NEET syllabus.
“I have decided to end my life. I’d like to say why I want to die. I want to talk for at least 45 minutes,” he begins. He then goes on to read from a paper, talking about beggars in the country, the judicial system, increasing incidents of rape and all the things that have him upset. Towards the end, he also urges his friends to share his video and discuss more about the things he has spoken.
The police are yet to file a case under section 309 for attempted suicide. This, however, is not the first time that someone has attempted suicide inside the mall. In October last year, a 27-year-old engineering graduate committed suicide after jumping off the third floor of the mall after an alleged argument with his girlfriend. According to another report in The Hindu, in 2016, a 17-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the fourth floor.
TNM received no response from Forum Vijaya Mall regarding any security measures put in place to avoid such instances in the future.
Those in need of counselling can contact Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre, a 24-hours suicide prevention helpline. They are also open for visits from 8.00 am to 10.00 pm on all days of the year. You can call +91 44 2464 0050 (24-hours) or +91 44 2464 0060 (8.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m.).
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