Bhadekar left behind a suicide note addressing his mother that he tried a lot to live but is unable to do so. A 36-year-old man allegedly killed his six-year-old daughter and then died by suicide on Sunday at Vile Parle (West). The man was suffering from depression since his wife died of Covid-19 last year, police said.
According to police, the incident took place late on Sunday on the second floor of D’Souza apartment building in Gaothan area of Vile Parle (West).
The deceased was identified as Jitendra Bhadekar, who was an employee in the back office of a diamond company. Police said Bhadekar first hanged his daughter Aprika and then hanged himself.
Police also said a note, addressed to the man’s mother, was also found. It states that the man had tried but was unable to live, and that his daughter could not be left behind. The note also has an apology, and a request that the man’s last rites should be completed at the same spot where his wife had been cremated. Police have posthumously booked Bhadekar for murder.
Bhadekar was living with his wife, daughter, brothers and mother at a flat in Charkop, Kandivali (West). In June 2020, his wife, 32-year-old Madhavi, a homemaker, died of Covid-19 at their Charkop residence, police said. Since then, he was suffering from depression but his family got him married again in December 2020, police added.
Police said Bhadekar left his Charkop home with his daughter, and told his family he had plans of moving to their Vile Parle flat as the tenants had left and it was locked for a few months.
On Sunday evening, around 5.30 pm, the family called him to find out when he was returning home but when he did not receive any calls, his brother asked the neighbour to check on him, police said.
The neighbour found the door locked from the inside and informed the brother, following which the family rushed to the spot and broke open the door to find the two hanging, police said.
During their investigation, police checked his phone and found out that he was searching for ways to commit suicide on YouTube five days before the incident. An official said he found some videos that might have helped him.
Bhadekar’s brothers told police that he was depressed after his wife died, but lately he was not showing any such sign and went to work regularly. They said they could not have predicted that he would take such a drastic step, police said.
Senior inspector Dyaneshwar Ganore of Santacruz police station confirmed the development.
Psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty, who has held numerous workshops on suicide prevention, told The Indian Express, “Grief during the pandemic is massive as there is isolation due to restrictions. Yet, every family should realise that sharing grief is healthy to resolve the pain. Many hide the turmoil with the false belief that it may hurt others. This is dangerous. A family that cries together heals together.”
He said, “There are 75,000 deaths in the state due to the pandemic. The state needs to have a plan for reaching out to every aggrieved family. If you have a task force to check physical health, why ignore mental health?”
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