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Leap of death: Delhi third among cities -V Narayan
-The Times of India

MUMBAI: Early last month, a 25-year-old management graduate jumped off the sixth-floor terrace of her Malad housing society building. She had quit her job and was to get married four months later.

The 25-year-old is among 14 women — 12 in the 15-29 age group and two in the 30-44 range — who have committed suicide in the city by leaping off highrises till August this year. Seven men, none in the 15-29 bracket, have chosen that path to end their lives, says a Mumbai police report. Of the 21 such deaths so far this year, 66% were of young women.

The figures draw attention to a painful statistic: Mumbai, with 227 cases between 2006 and 2011, stands second among cities in India when it comes to suicide by jumping off a building. Bangalore tops the chart with 428 cases — a shocking spike of 580% from 25 in 2006 to 170 in 2011. Delhi is third with 132, followed by Ahmedabad (102) and Chennai (100), says the National Crime Records Bureau.

Among states, Maharashtra comes fourth with 453 cases after West Bengal (556), Tamil Nadu (527) and Andhra Pradesh (493).

Mental health experts say though hanging remains the most preferred method of suicide, jumping off highrises is increasing in the metros. Figures from the last six years show that only one metro — Kolkata — is missing from the list of cities with the maximum such deaths. The trend could also be an unfortunate imitation of the West, where it accounts for a significant number of suicides, simply because of easy access to tall buildings.

Dr Shubhangi Parkar, head of psychiatry at KEM Hospital, called it a very violent method and an indicator that the person must have been severely depressed. "Access to tall buildings seems to impact the decision of a person who is planning to kill oneself. It is more of a metro phenomenon...," she said.

In Mumbai, the figures yield an interesting gender angle — the maximum number of women who leapt to their deaths between 2008 and August 2012 were under 30. The numbers reduced as the age increased (see box).

For men, the maximum cases came in the 45-59 age group and then in the 15-29 bracket.

Among senior citizens, almost 80% of the people who chose that mode of suicide in the same period were men.

In 2007 and 2008, Mumbai had topped the list of jumper suicides with 33 and 32 cases, respectively. The figures rose 20% to 45 in 2010, but slumped to 32 last year.

This year, among the 21 cases, is that of newly-wed dentist Pranavi Gundawar (25), who is believed to have thrown herself off the terrace of the residential quarters of BYL Nair hospital in Mumbai Central. This was only days after a NM College student had jumped off the college building.

Psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty said such deaths reflected a sense of helplessness and hopelessness. "This method also has a sense of punishment. Here, the person feels like punishing the world or near ones for not helping him or her out. The sense of helplessness is a powerful motivation," he said, adding that people killing themselves at home or at their institutions is often a reflection that no one reached out to help them.

"We are noticing a disturbing trend of people taking this drastic step without any thought to the consequences of their actions on their family and dear ones," said joint commissioner of police (Crime) Himanshu Roy. He added that jumping from a height reduces the chance of survival to almost nil.

"Other modes of suicide require preparation... jumping from highrises requires no preparation. Further, while death may not be certain in other modes, jumping from a tall building is almost certain to cause instant death, something which an emotional suicide-seeker would want," concurred Y P Singh, a former IPS officer who's turned lawyer.

Policemen on the ground who are among the first to be called in case of suicides say in most cases, people do not want to waste time buying weapons or other materials to end life. "Jumping off high rises is the easiest means to take one's life though it is scary," said Bhandup police senior inspector Shrirang Nadgauda.

(With inputs by Sumitra Deb Roy)