Maharashtra govt decides to install grilles at Mantralaya after last week’s farmer suicide bid

A farmer climbed on the parapet of the top floor of the state government’s headquarters at Nariman Point and threatened to jump.

After a farmer attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the top floor of Mantralaya last week, the state government has decided to seal all vulnerable spots by fixing grilles.

On November 10, farmer Dnyaneshwar Salve, 28, from a village in Osmanabad climbed on to the parapet of the seventh floor of the annexe building in Mantralaya and threatened to jump. (HT)

Over the years, there have been several suicide bids at Mantralaya.

The home department has directed all concerned departments to conduct inspections and plug gaps so as to avoid such suicide bids in the future. Deepak Kesarkar, minister of state for home, said the general administration and the public works departments have been issued directions to seal vulnerable spots in both the main and annexe buildings.

On November 10, a 28-year old farmer, Dnyaneshwar Salve, from a village in Osmanabad held the state administration ransom for more than 90 minutes after he climbed on to the parapet of the seventh floor of the annexe building from a window and threatened to jump if his demands were not met. Salve allowed himself to be led away only after he got a written assurance from a group of ministers agreeing to comply with his demands. The suicide bid and rescue operations wasted hundreds of man hours and forced the engagement of top police officials and the fire brigade.

Meanwhile, after the incident, the police have tightened security at Mantralaya by deploying more personnel at the entry gates for frisking and checking visitors. The police’s security wing at Mantralaya has recently introduced visitor passes with photographs for entry.