Pune: A young man died by suicide in Pune’s Bhosari area on Thursday evening after live-streaming his emotional distress on Facebook. The incident unfolded at a crowded vegetable market, where the man climbed atop a water tank and later jumped, despite efforts by bystanders to persuade him to come down safely.
The deceased has been identified as Keshari Prasad Sahu. Sahu had been living alone for several months after his wife and young daughter left home. He is said to have been struggling to cope with the separation from his wife and daughter.
According to officials, Sahu climbed onto a water tank located on the second floor of the market on Thursday afternoon. He went live on Facebook for just over a minute, during which he was seen sobbing and repeatedly expressing his desire to meet his wife and continue his life with his family. In the video, he is heard saying, “I want to meet my wife. I want to live my life.”
Another video, recorded several hours earlier and posted online, showed Sahu speaking about his mental state and hinting that he might take an extreme step. Authorities suspect he may have consumed alcohol prior to the incident, though this is yet to be confirmed.
After receiving alerts, teams from the Bhosari police station, the fire brigade and an ambulance rushed to the scene, India Today reported. For nearly 30 minutes, personnel attempted to counsel Sahu and bring him down safely. A large crowd gathered and some bystanders tried to approach him but stopped out of fear that he might jump. Despite the efforts, Sahu eventually jumped from the tank.
Police recovered a four-page suicide note that Sahu had also shared on social media. In the note, he repeatedly wrote about his love for his daughter and pleaded for a conversation with his wife. He said he could no longer endure the pain of separation and expressed a wish that his last rites be performed by his daughter. He also made allegations against certain individuals whom he claimed were responsible for separating his family and sought justice.
Officials said all aspects of the case are being examined, including the contents of the note and the Facebook Live videos.