Mumbai businessman jumps to death from Atal Setu; second ‘suicide’ in 2 days
Police said Philip Hitesh Shah was depressed for the past few months, and the family suspects that he ended his life because of it.
A 52-year-old businessman from Matunga jumped to his death from the Atal Setu, a part of the Mumbai Trans Habour Link (MTHL), early on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported. The incident took place two days after a deputy manager with a nationalised bank ended his life by jumping off the Atal Setu. His body was found washed up on the seashore in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday, police said.
According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Philip Hitesh Shah, a businessman who lived with his family in Matunga. They said Philip Shah was depressed for the past few months, and the family suspects that he ended his life because of it.
"The businessman, Philip Shah, ended his life by jumping off the Atal Setu on Wednesday morning. Shah, a resident of Matunga in central Mumbai, drove his sedan car on the Atal Setu, parked it at some point and jumped into the sea," PTI quoted a police official as saying.
The police official said staff from the CCTV control room of the bridge noticed that a car was parked on the bridge, following which a rescue team was alerted. Its personnel rushed to the spot from where Philip Shah jumped into the sea.
"Following a search operation, they found him," he added.
Philip Shah was rushed to a hospital, but declared dead on admission, the police official said. The deceased person's identity was established on the basis of his Aadhaar card, which was found in the car, he said, adding that the victim was apparently under mental stress in the last few days before his death.
A case of accidental death was registered at the Nhava Sheva police station in Navi Mumbai.
Body of banker recovered from Navi Mumbai shores
On Monday morning, Sushant Chakravarti, a deputy manager with a nationalised bank, parked his SUV on the bridge at Sewri and jumped into the sea.
Chakravarti's wife said he worked at the bank's Fort branch in south Mumbai and claimed he had work pressure.
A search and rescue operation was launched, and the Sewri police traced the family based on the vehicle's numberplate, senior inspector Rohit Khot of Sewri police station told PTI.
On Tuesday, the police were informed that a body had washed up on the shore at JNPT in Navi Mumbai, and it was identified.
Chakravarti is survived by his wife and seven-year-old daughter, the official said. A case of accidental death was registered, he said.
Atal Setu in Mumbai
The 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu', also known as the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), that connects south Mumbai with the satellite city of Navi Mumbai, was inaugurated in January this year. The six-lane bridge is 21.8-km-long and is said to be the longest sea bridge in the country.
Watch: PM Modi Inaugurates Atal Setu, India's Longest Sea Bridge | Watch
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).