Police officer commits suicide

Jumps in front of train at Uttam Nagar (west) metro station

A 52-year-old Delhi Police officer committed suicide by jumping in front of the metro on Wednesday morning. The police recovered a suicide note from his possession, which said he was ending his life because of illness.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Hans Ram Barla, a resident of Uttam Nagar’s Om Vihar, jumped in front of the train at Uttam Nagar (west) metro station around 11 a.m. He died on the spot.

Gastrointestinal cancer

Security personnel recovered his body and took it to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Police sources said Mr. Barla was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. He was undergoing treatment and took injections for pain relief.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Metro) Pankaj Singh said Mr. Barla, who joined the Delhi Police in 1986, was posted in the security wing and wasn’t working actively for the past three months.

“He had a stomach infection and was in a lot of pain. He wasn’t active since the past three months and was on leave for little over three weeks,” Mr. Singh said, adding that Mr. Barla wasn’t wearing his uniform at the time of the incident.

Stating that Mr. Barla’s death came as a shock for his family, Mr. Singh added, “The family didn’t see it coming at all. He left the house in the morning saying he was going to meet a friend nearby.”

The officer is survived by his wife and three children, including two sons, aged 23 and 27 years, and a 25-year-old daughter. “He used to organise events for the Rajasthani community and motivate them to be a part of the events as well,” said his 23-year-old son, who is preparing for civil services examination.