Woman alerts police of father's suicide attempt from thousands of miles away

Awoman failed to save her father's life despite alerting the police of her 74-year-old father's suicide attempt. The man, a resident of Mumbai's Matunga area, had consumed 30 sleeping pills with the intention of ending his life

According to Mumbai police, Bharat Ruparel had even called and texted his daughter before attempting suicide and told her that he was leaving a note and his will.

His daughter immediately called Mumbai police, asking them to rush to their house in Matunga. The officers found him in a critical condition and immediately rushed him to the hospital, according to a report in The Independent.

"The daughter immediately alerted police and a team from Matunga police rushed to the flat and took the man to a hospital. He is in the ICU (intensive care unit) and his condition is serious," said a police officer.

The doctors were unable to save the man and he passed away at a local hospital. The police have registered a case and a probe has been opened to ascertain whether it is a case of abetment to suicide.

His daughter Shivani Ruparel, who informed the police, lives in Texas and was in the US with her mother and sister when the incident occurred.

It is not yet clear as to why the elderly man took his own life, but his daughter told police that her parents did not share a good relationship and often fought. The police have now asked her to provide them with the original text messages he sent her before taking the drastic step.

India recorded as many as 153,052 suicide deaths in 2020, nearly 10 percent more than 2019, according to the data released by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) released in October last year.

Activist Jeetendra Ghadge of the Young Whistleblowers' Foundation said that 121 elderly people died by suicide in Mumbai last year which is a 31 percent jump over the previous year.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.