In Mumbai, 2 girls take selfies before ‘jumping’ in well

MUMBAI: Two 17-year-old girls drowned in a well at Aarey Colony on Tuesday evening in what police say appears to be a suicide pact. Police said the two clicked a selfie near the well and made it their display picture on both their WhatsApp accounts before taking the drastic step. Their footwear, anklets and cellphones were found outside the well, which led police to conclude that the duo had jumped in. No suicide note was found and the motive is not clear. Their phones could hold a clue though. This is the fourth case of suicide at the well located in Aarey’s unit number six in a span of two years.

Minakshi and Sonali (names changed) were friends and neighbours at a tribal hamlet in Aarey. Their parents grow rice and sell it, besides doing odd jobs for a living. Minakshi was in Class XII while Sonali had dropped out after SSC and had taken up sewing. The girls left their homes on Tuesday afternoon without informing their families. “Around 4pm, a known young boy spotted the two headed towards the well but they forbade him from disclosing their whereabouts to us,” Sonali’s father told TOI.

“Before taking the plunge, the girls called up a male friend and told him of their decision. He immediately called up my son who was at work. By the time my son reached the well, the girls had taken their lives,” he added. Fire brigade was summoned and the bodies were pulled out around 11.30pm.

The girls’ families and friends said the two had not shown any signs of being depressed nor told anyone of any problems.

“On Monday night, Sonali told me that she wanted five dresses that she had seen on a TV show. I promised to get them for her and placed an order. The clothes will arrive in a few days but my daughter is not around to wear them,” said her father. Police said the girls had deleted all WhatsApp chats. “One of the girls had recently told her boyfriend that she was seeing someone else. We will probe if that could be the motive.”

Police said the well had become a “suicide point” and they were tired of urging the authorities to get it covered.