New Delhi:
A 26-year-old man committed suicide this morning by jumping off an elevated Metro station onto a main road in Delhi. Anil Kumar, resident of JJ Colony in Okhla, was taken to a hospital, but was declared dead. Mr Kumar's case highlights the recent increase in suicides at Metro stations in Delhi - four people have killed themselves in the last one week.
Just a couple of days ago, 28-year-old Priya Khandelwal from Mathura and an employee of a bank in Gurgaon, had jumped to her death from a Metro station in the Delhi suburb.
Families of both Mr Kumar and Ms Khandelwal feel that if security was better at the stations, then maybe these tragedies could have been avoided.
"The metro authorities also should show some responsibilities... they say he was calling on the phone when he jumped, shouldn't someone have been vigilant?" said Sukhram, Mr Kumar's relative.
"If security was better... it's such a big station... there are so many people who come at that time, they could have been a bit more vigilant," said Behari Khandelwal, the father of Priya Khandelwal.
There has been an alarming rise in the number of suicides at Metro stations. In the past four months, there have been eight suicides. In 2011, there were just four suicides.
Metro officials are worried at the trend, but admit they can't do much in a system that sees nearly 20 lakh passengers every day.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials refused to speak on camera, but they did say they are taking some steps. Besides increasing security at the over ground Metro stations, they are also putting up half screen doors at five platforms which see the maximum passenger footfall - this is essentially like a glass barrier on the edge of the platform which would prevent passengers from jumping onto the tracks. Cameras have also been installed on platforms to keep an eye and the Railway police, which handles suicide cases on tracks, say they are training their men to keep an eye out.
"We have stationed more men on the platforms and we are trying to sensitize them about the issue," said Bhairon Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime and Railways.
Efforts may be on, but authorities say, because of a possible copycat suicide syndrome, it is going to be difficult to curb the menace.