Alert rickshaw driver prevents woman from jumping off a bridge in Mumbai

Mumbai city news: When she asked the driver to stop and moved towards the edge of the bridge, he sensed something was not right and called 100

The Navghar police on Thursday counselled a 21-year-old woman out of committing suicide. The woman was allegedly depressed and was planning to jump off the Airoli bridge when the police intervened.

The woman was depressed as her mother and sister are battling diseases. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

According to a police a source, around 1.30am the woman hired an auto from Ghatkopar to return home in Airoli. When they reached the Airoli bridge, she asked the driver to stop and moved towards the edge of the bridge.

“The auto driver sensed something was not right and called 100 when he saw the woman approaching the edge of the bridge,” said Madhav More, senior inspector, Navghar police station.

Two police teams from Navghar and Airoli police station reached the spot in a few minutes and found the woman sitting on the road near the edge of the bridge. On speaking to her, the officers came to know that she was depressed with family problems as her mother and sister are battling diseases.

The police persuaded the woman to accompany them to the Navghar police station where she was counselled by the women officers.

The police team counselled her and tried talking to her about her situation. They spoke to her about her problems and finally managed to pacify her. “The woman narrated the problems to the police team and told them that she was facing financial crunch and was unable to bear the burden,” said More.

“The women officers discussed her problems and told her to not lose hope,” said More. She was later reunited with her family. “He mother and sisters broke down when they came to know about the incident,” he added. The Airoli bridge that links Mumbai with Navi Mumbai is a popular suicide spot.