Maharashtra govt installs safety net at Mantralaya to prevent suicides

After four suicide bids in three weeks, government takes steps to prevent more attempts at state secretariat in Mumbai

The recent spate of suicide attempts at Mantralaya — and the death of a murder convict who jumped off the fifth floor last week — has prompted the Maharashtra government to install a safety net at the building’s second floor-level to prevent further such incidents.

The safety net was installed at the building’s first floor-level on Monday to prevent further such incidents. (Swapnil Rawal/HT Photo)

The safety net, installed on Monday, is similar to the one seen commonly at construction sites of high-rise buildings. Last week, Hindustan Times had reported that the state government was looking at various security measures to prevent suicide attempts in and around the high-security state secretariat in south Mumbai.

Foxconn, the Chinese multinational electronics contract manufacturing company, had put up similar such safety nets around its facilities in China’s Shenzhen region, following a rash of suicides by its employees.

Last month saw three separate suicide attempts in and around Mantralaya, in which two people died. The incidents prompted the Opposition to criticise the government and dub Mantralaya as a suicide point, much to the embarrassment of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government.

Security and screening at Mantralaya have also been tightened. The government is also putting in place several measures such as restricting the entry of visitors — it plans to allow only visitors with an appointment into the building — as well as put up an administrative desk outside the main building for people who want to submit letters.

Senior bureaucrats said they are also considering keeping a few of the windows shut permanently. In November 2017, a man had climbed on to the parapet and threatened to jump.

A detailed report on the measures to be adopted to prevent suicides at Mantralaya is expected this week, officials added.