‘Please do me a favour. Don’t tell about the ‘girl’ to anyone. I will miss every one of you. Tell my parents that I love them’ — this was the last outgoing message, sent at 3.27 p.m., from the mobile phone of 23-year-old D. Shanmugam, the software engineer who >jumped from the third floor of a shopping mall in the city on Monday.
According to the police, Shanmugam had met a friend at MEPZ on Monday noon.
“He was on the phone a lot, texting and talking to someone. When his friend asked him what was wrong, he said he was going to meet another friend and left the place. That was the last time Shanmugam was seen by an acquaintance,” said a police officer.
After this, he reached Express Avenue mall.
“His girlfriend is a fashion designer and they have known each other since 2007. We have asked the service provider for call records as he deleted all details from his mobile phone,” the police officer said.
A day after the incident, it was business as usual at the mall. Visitors walked about window shopping or sipping coffee. But the sight of a few policemen on the third floor aroused their curiosity.
Some were seen enquiring about Monday’s accident with the mall’s guards.
“I came to the mall with some friends. We were curious to see the spot from where the software engineer jumped. It was saddening to know he was just 23 years old,” said K. Viju, a college student.
A medical examiner was among those surveying the spot. He was brought by the police to establish the nature of the fall.
“Shanmugam’s skull and backbone were completely damaged when he was brought to the hospital. He must have hit something before landing on the ground,” said the officer.
Security tightened at mall
On Tuesday, the mall security personnel did not permit anybody to idle near the railings on any floor.
“We have stringent security measures in place. But when there is heavy rush from the multiplex on the topmost level, it is hard to monitor everybody,” said one of the guards.
