Mumbai: Family ignored suicide threats, youth ends life

A 20-year-old, who threatened to commit suicide in the past, took the grave step yesterday evening, when he hanged himself at his home in Dharavi.

The victim, identified as Ganesh Kandhare, 20, lived with his parents and elder sister in a one-storey home in Shiv Shakti Nagar in Dharavi.

Ganesh's father, Suresh Kandhare, has been bed-ridden after an accident, and was unable to support his family financially. His elder sister, Chandni, and a maternal aunt, who resides in the same locality, did odd jobs to help meet the family's financial needs. Ganesh too, had been trying to support the family, by working as a daily labourer.

According to the police, Ganesh had gone to work on Sunday morning, as per his usual schedule. A Dharavi police officer said, "Ganesh returned home in the afternoon, had lunch and went upstairs to his room. When three hours later, around 5 pm, Ganesh did not come down for tea, his family suspected something amiss.

"His mother, Lata, went upstairs, to find him hanging from the ceiling. When she screamed for help, a few new neighbours rushed to their home, and brought him down."

Speaking to mid-day, Ganesh's uncle said, "He was still breathing when we brought him down. Ganesh used his mother's saree as a noose. We rushed him to Sion Hospital, but we couldn't save him. We are in shock because Ganesh had threatened to commit suicide in the past, but we never took him seriously."

Cops have registered an accidental death report (ADR) in the case. An officer said, "We are probing a case for foul play. A post-mortem will be conducted today and then, the body will be handed over to the Kandhares for his last rites."

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