KOLKATA: Cops from the
Jadavpur police probing the
death of Sonali Aikat have prima facie ruled out any foul play. The 43-year-old woman leapt to her death from the 17th-floor balcony of her rented apartment at the
South City residential complex on Saturday afternoon.
"While we await the post-mortem findings, preliminary inquiries don't suggest any foul play," an investigator said. No complaint has yet been registered either. Aikat was reportedly undergoing treatment for acute depression. The police said they had been told that Aikat had attempted to end her life thrice earlier.
Residents of the complex are yet to come to terms with the death, especially this being the ninth suicide since 2012 at the complex. Most of the victims had jumped to their deaths. Gautam Mukhopadhyay, oncologist and resident of South City, said, "The frequent suicides are indeed leaving residents rattled. Every time a suicide happens, it is discussed for days on end and that creates mental pressure on us. Not only the residents but even the drivers and the domestic help, who visit the complex every day, are disturbed. I guess it is because of the height of the towers that South City has turned into a suicide spot. This is unfortunate and I wish it hadn't happened."
Most families are looking to leave the agony behind and move on. "Our quality of life has changed for better since we moved into South City. From a shopping mall to lots of greenery, from good connectivity to very friendly neighbours, this place offers everything," said a resident in Tower 2. A neighbour in the same tower said they were trying to put the current episode behind them. "It was a rude shock for us. Residents are tense. But in the past, too, we have witnessed such devastating incidents and managed to tide over the crisis. This time, too, we will come together and put it behind us."
