Mumbai: Woman jumps from Atal Setu bridge, search ops on

Kinjal Kantilal Shah

A 43-year-old woman and doctor by profession jumped from the newly constructed Atal Setu bridge on Monday. The Nhava Sheva police, along with coastal and Mumbai police, have launched a search operation but are still to trace her in the deep sea. Sources said this would be the first case of a suicide attempt on the Atal Setu bridge.

According to the police, the woman has been identified as Kinjal Kantilal Shah, 43, a resident of Dadar. Kinjal's father, Kantilal, approached the Bhoiwada police in Dadar and informed them about her disappearance. The police filed a missing complaint and started the investigation. "The woman stayed with her father and had been unwell for the past many years. The father alleged in his statement that she was depressed for the last 8 to 10 years and was undergoing treatment. However, we filed a missing complaint and started the investigation," said Subhash Borate, senior police inspector, at Bhoiwada police station.

The family found a suicide note at home and approached the police with it. "She left home informing her father that she was going out for some work. When the father reached home, he found a suicide note in which mentioned she was going to Atal Setu bridge," said a police officer.

Borate further said, "The Bhoiwada police checked the CCTV footage, which showed that she left the house at 1.30 pm on Monday. At around 1.45 pm, she boarded a taxi from the Shindewadi area in Dadar and went towards Atal Setu bridge. Around 14 kilometres away towards Navi Mumbai on the bridge, she stopped the taxi saying she wanted to click pictures. After she got down, she jumped into the sea. The taxi driver then approached the police," added Borate.

"We are taking help from the motor vehicle department, which has a rescue boat to trace the woman in the deep sea. We have also informed all the coastal police stations to see if they find any dead body on the coast in the jurisdiction," added Borate.

"Since yesterday we have been searching for the woman with the help of coastal police and other local villagers and rescuers. But are yet to trace her. On Monday itself we took the statement of the taxi driver who claims that the woman asked him to take the Atal Setu bridge as she wanted a fun ride on the bridge and see it. We also called her relative today for a statement and meanwhile, the search operation is still going on," said Rajendra Kote Patil, senior police inspector, Nhava Sheva police station.

Lucky survivor

On Saturday, a Pune-based woman, who is also a doctor, was passing from the Atal Setu Bridge with her husband and son. "She was clicking a picture or selfie when she fell from the bridge. But in the sea below the bridge, work was going on, and workers were stationed. As soon as she fell, the team working below rescued the woman, and she was safely reunited with the family," added Patil.