Suicide pact: Woman dies, mother-daughter injured after jumping from a building

KOLKATA: In what appears to be a suicide pact in the heart of central Kolkata, a woman and her daughter jumped from the terrace of their fourth-floor Battala Street home with the latter’s two-and-a-half-year-old daughter on Wednesday evening.
Sixty-two-year-old Suhani Taparia died before she could be taken to hospital. The condition of her daughter, Indira Mohota, 35, is critical, while her daughter, cradled in her arms, survived with only a minor fracture in the arm. Indira is in Medical College and Hospital; the child is being treated at a nursing home.

Primary probe revealed that Indira had got married about five years ago. There were some initial problems with her inlaws, but the problems multiplied after a daughter was born, said sources. The problems escalated after divorce proceedings were initiated. The cops, however, are yet to draw any conclusions, saying a detailed probe was necessary. They will soon speak to family members.

Suhani’s husband, Ramesh, is paralysed and is bed-ridden most of the time. The extend family of the Taparias own a shop in Burrabazar that deals with milk products.

The entire congested locality is in a state of shock as the incident happened before their eyes. “The family has been staying here for decades, and we have never heard them getting involved in any local issues,” said Burrabazar resident Narayan Sharma, adding that the local MLA and councillors had visited the spot.

Police said the incident occurred around 6.30pm. Locals called the police even as a relative, identified as Suhani’s brother-in-law Ganesh Taparia, rushed the victims to hospital. “There are unconfirmed reports that Mohota was suffering from depression because of some family issues. However, these are very initial reports and needs to be cross-checked,” said a senior investigating officer. The Posta police have begun inquest proceedings.

Witnesses said it was Suhani who jumped first. Indira followed, the child held tightly in her arms. “I was in office when I The caller informed me that he was rushing all three to Medical College,” Ganesh told the cops.

Prahlad Sonkar, who owns a mobile shop nearby, was one of the many locals who rushed the three to hospital. “Suhani’s head was bleeding badly. She was unconscious. But Indira and the child were clearly alive. We rushed them to a local nursing home,” said Sonkar.