According to data, more males committed suicide than the females between 2013 and 2015. (Representational image)
At time when the alleged suicide of popular TV actor Pratyusha Banerjee is making headlines, the number of suicides in Mumbai has been on a decline for past three years, an RTI query has revealed.
In 2013, total 1,322 people committed suicide in Mumbai, while the number went down to 1,196 in 2014, and further slipped to 1,122 in 2015, as per a reply by Mumbai police to an RTI query filed by Pune-based activist Vihar Durve.
Attributing this trend to the "fighting spirit" of the people in the city, Mumbai police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni said, "It's nice to see that Mumbaikars are showing their character as fighter, than being a quitter."
He said, "I would say that people are becoming self-motivated and reliant, apart from the fact that they have become much more aware about the ups and down of the life by availing timely counselling (at counselling centres), thanks to the efforts taken by various groups."
The reply furnished by Mumbai police also said that more males committed suicide than the females between 2013 and 2015. In the last three calender years, total 2,304 males committed suicide, while 1,336 females ended their lives in the city during the same time.
The reply also mentions that during these three years, total 334 students committed suicide, including 185 males and 149 females, in the mega-city.
The Mumbai police said in the reply that it does not keep records of the people who attempted suicide and the reasons why people ended their lives.
Dr YA Matcheswalla, a psychiatrist in Mumbai, said the main reason for committing suicide is depression, and now people have started acknowledging that it can be cured. "Timely diagnosis and treatment is now playing a crucial role in stopping suicidal tendencies among people," he said.