A 14-year-old Andheri resident who committed suicide on Saturday evening had sent a message on a WhatsApp group alerting his friends that he was about to take the extreme step. However, his friends thought he was joking and did not take the message seriously.
The teenager, who used to stay with his parents and two sisters, jumped off the terrace of his building on Saturday evening. The Meghwadi police are conducting inquiries into the matter. The police have so far not been able to pinpoint a possible motive behind the alleged suicide.
Advice unheeded
A resident of the area, who wanted to remain anonymous, said, “A little while before he jumped, he sent a picture of his legs dangling over the parapet of the terrace with a caption saying, ‘Soon, the only thing you will be left with is a picture of me’ on a WhatsApp group that he and his friends were part of.” The man added that passers-by told him to get off the parapet, but that the victim did not heed to their words, and took a picture of the passers-by instead.
An officer with the Meghwadi police said, “A couple of his friends, thinking that he was joking, posted light-hearted replies to his message. It was only after they learned about his death that they realised he was serious. We suspect that these friends are now afraid of coming forward, thinking that they could get into trouble. We are trying to win their confidence so that their statements can be recorded. Their statements are necessary for the investigation.”
In state of shock
The police are now conducting inquiries to find out a possible motive behind the suicide. “There was no other injury on his body. The family is in shock and we will wait for the last rites to be over to begin speaking with them. We will examine his phone and laptop computer and also speak to his family and friends,” said Assistant Police Inspector Rajdatta Kamble, Meghwadi Police Station.
Officers said that the boy’s parents, who had gone to Nashik for his last rites, returned to the city late on Monday evening. The police is likely to record their statements on Tuesday morning.
