A residential society in Dadar was witness to high intensity drama on Saturday morning, as a 29-year-old constable with the Mumbai Police was successfully dissuaded from committing suicide after close to four hours of counselling.
Residents called police
According to the Bhoiwada police, residents of the Shindewadi in Dadar (East) noticed the constable pacing on the terrace of the building for a long time. Since it is an area with a high number of COVID-19 cases, they wondered who he was and why he was outdoors for so long, and ultimately called the police around 11 a.m.
The police and fire brigade officials rushed to the area and surrounded the building. “The man had climbed up on the ledge of the terrace and we set up inflatable sheets and mattresses just in case he fell while efforts were on to change his mind,” Chief Fire Officer Prabhat Rahangdale said.
A small group of policemen, meanwhile, headed to the terrace and managed to retrieve his wallet and bag, which he had placed on the railing. Using its content, the team identified him as one of their own and started trying to talk him out of taking the extreme step.
The process went on for nearly four hours, during which the police also contacted his family members and conveyed their reassurances to him. They assured him no one would say anything and he just had to step away from the ledge. He was ultimately brought back to safety and calmed down.
‘Family issues’
Senior police inspector Vinod Kamble, Bhoiwada police station, said, “The constable was disturbed over some family-related issues. We calmed him down and he even went back to work later. No case has been filed in the incident.”