71-year-old woman commits suicide, cops suspect she was depressed

Representational picture

Depressed with her son's ailment, 71-year-old woman committed suicide by jumping off from the 19th floor of a building in Hiranandani Gardens on Saturday morning. She was identified as Mrudula Bhattacharya, who was living with her son's family. The son suffers from terminal cancer. According to preliminary information, the family had discovered that she was under depression and were taking care of her. Powai cops have found a suicide note, which mentioned her son's illness as the cause of depression. Cops have filed an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in connection with the incident.

Also Read: Mumbai Crime: Builder Mukesh Savla jumps to death; police suggest he was under depression

On Saturday morning, around 9.20 am, security guards at Norita building, a high-rise in Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, heard a loud thud in the parking area. When the guards ran towards the sound, they saw Bhattacharya's body. The guards immediately alerted the cops, who took her to Hiranandani Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.

Guards had to check with each flat of the building to ascertain the identity of the deceased. Till they reached Bhattacharya's house, the family members were unaware of the incident. "She (Mrudula) was shocked due to the illness of her son and thought that he would never recover from it. She had slipped into depression due to this," an officer from Powai police station said, on condition of anonymity. "This morning she jumped from the gallery of her house. Everyone was at home at the time." Another police officer, privy to the investigation, added, "Her family has confirmed that she was under medication, too. Also, we have recovered her suicide note."

Also Read: Mumbai: 13-year-old boy 'jumps' from Wadala high-rise

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates