Interpol alert about ‘suicide’ search online helps police save a man

Police in Mumbai saved a 28-year-old man from ending his life after an alert from Interpol revealed that he had been searching for ways to die by suicide on Google. The man, who was unemployed and in a state of frustration, was counselled by police and assured them that he would not take such a drastic step. This incident follows a similar case earlier this year where an IT professional was saved from suicide after his online searches were noticed by Interpol.

MUMBAI: The police officials traced a 28-year-old man and saved him from ending his life following an alert from Interpol that he was searching about ‘best ways to die by suicide’ on Google, an official said on Wednesday.

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The man, who hails from Rajasthan, was rescued on Tuesday from suburban Malvani after the police traced his location on the basis of his mobile number shared by Interpol, he said.

According to police, the US National Central Bureau received a pop-up regarding the search of the Malwani resident. The agency immediately alerted the CBI – their Interpol counterparts in India- and transmitted the user’s mobile location. The CBI Interpol then forwarded the email received from the US NCB to the joint commissioner of the police crime branch, said a crime branch official.

A police team reached the spot and verified the identity of the person and upon checking his mobile phone they found he had been searching about suicide online. During enquiry, it was learnt that the person came to Mumbai two years ago from his native place in Rajasthan after he learnt that some legal action was taken against his mother, and she was in jail.

After completing his HSC, he completed a diploma in engineering and was working in a private firm at Mira Road and staying with his uncle in Malwani. But for the last few months, he was unemployed and in frustration had started contemplating suicide, said the police officer.

He was counselled for around two hours after which he assured the police officials that henceforth he would not even think about taking such a drastic step and was allowed to go along with a relative.

In February this year, the crime branch’s unit 5 saved a 25-year-old IT professional from taking his life due to a small loan after the Jogeshwari resident’s online searches ‘painless ways to die by suicide’ were noticed by the US NCB. CBI Interpol had forwarded the mail to the Mumbai police after which Unit 5 was entrusted with the job to stop the man from taking the drastic step. The IT professional was tracked using his mobile phone’s internet protocol (IP) address.