This story is from May 25, 2020

Jharkhand: ‘Depressed’ Bokaro youth ends life, ninth suicide in 20 days

A 25-year-old youth, who was put in home quarantine after returning from Maharashtra on May 13, committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his sister’s house at Sector-8/B under
Jharkhand: ‘Depressed’ Bokaro youth ends life, ninth suicide in 20 days
Representative image
BOKARO: A 25-year-old youth, who was put in home quarantine after returning from Maharashtra on May 13, committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his sister’s house at Sector-8/B under Harla police station on Saturday late night. In the last 20 days, at least nine suicides attributed to depression during the lockdown have been reported from different parts of Bokaro.

The youth, identified as Prakash Kumar Singh, worked as a carpenter and upon his return, officials of the district health department collected his swab samples for Covid-19 test and the result is awaited. While the actual reason behind the extreme step is unknown, police suspect it to be a case of anxiety and depression.
Officer in-charge of Harla police station Jai Gobind Gupta said, “Singh returned from Maharashtra on May 13. He worked as a carpenter in Chandrapur district for two years. The deceased was alone at the time of the incident on Saturday.”
Suicides related to depression and anxiety is on a rise in Bokaro amid the ongoing lockdown. On Saturday, another resident in Dugda under Bermo sub-division committed suicide at his shop where he used to sell fritters. His wife, Parvati Devi, told police that Kewat was depressed due to a financial crunch as the lockdown had hit his earnings. On May 21, a 35-year-old male resident of Bhojudih under Chandankyari police station committed suicide also due to depression.
Mental health experts link the spurt in the cases of suicides to depression related to financial stress, joblessness, uncertainty among other issues. A psychiatrist of sadar hospital, Prasant Mishra, said, “Increase in stress due to financial worries, relationship issues, fear of abandonment, stigma, fear of contracting infectious diseases and social ostracization are a few reasons that are prompting suicidal tendencies among people.”
He advised people to be cautious of Covid-19, but not fearful. “Covid-19 is certainly a cause of worry, but recovery rate in our country is high. People should not lose hope, they should find a meaning in their life and not hesitate in seeking help.”
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