Two coronavirus-linked suicides in Jharkhand

RANCHI: A loader at the Ranchi airport, who came in close contact with the former Jharkhand administrative officer who died in Gurgaon, jumped off the third floor of Lake View Hospital in Bariatu in Ranchi where he was quarantined. Identified as Mangal Kachhap, the man, in his mid-thirties, initially sustained injuries and was rushed to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) where he died during treatment.Meanwhile, in Giridih district, a 27-year-old teacher was found hanging from the ceiling fan at his residence while police recovered a note, apparently written by him, which said he has contracted Covid-19.
In the first case, according to police, Kachhap came in contact with the septuagenarian at the airport when he was being flown to Gurgaon for treatment after he suffered a brain stroke on April 2. On April 18, when the elderly man died in Gurgaon and tested positive for Covid-19, Kachhap was quarantined at Lake View Hospital. The hospital staff, who came in contact with the elderly man, were also quarantined at the hospital.
DSP (sadar) Deepak Pandey said, “Kachhap sustained severe injuries after jumping off from the third floor of the hospital building and was rushed to Rims, but died during the course of treatment. So far, we are yet ascertain the exact reasons behind this act, but his friends told us that he was eager to go back home.”
Meanwhile, a 27-year-old teacher of a private school of Giridih district hanged himself to death in his bedroom on Monday and left behind a note saying he has contracted Covid-19. The incident took place at Vedapahari under Birni police station of the district. Giridih SP Surender Kumar Jha said the teacher did not have any travel history and was suffering from depression for the last two months.
DC Rahul Kumar Sinha on Tuesday said, “Nobody can self proclaim about being corona positive. A screening was conducted on his family members and all of them were found to be asymptomatic.”
He added, “We send people to quarantine or isolation when their contact is traced to some patient of Covid-19. However, the family has already cremated his body without informing police. On receiving the information, circle officer Sandeep Kumar Madhesia, along with a police team, reached Keshodih Ghat of Barakar River, but by then the cremation had ended.”
Later, the team went to his house for a probe and found a three-page suicide note. According to police on Monday morning when the teacher did not open the door for a long time, the family members broke into his room and found the body hanging. The hand written suicide note mentioned, “I am infected with corona. Good bye for this. There is no need to worry.”
According to the information, the teacher had visited Birni Community Health Center two days before committing suicide. He told the doctor that he was feeling weak. Dr Tajuddin, a medical officer here, said they gave him medicine and advised him to go home and take rest. The doctors also said that the teacher did not complain of cough, cold or fever.