Youth jumps into Mula-Mutha to commit suicide, cop leaps after him, pulls him out

After Chetan jumped into the river, his father, 43-year-old Bhimrao Sakat raised an alarm. Sable, who was patrolling, responded quickly and jumped after Chetan.

A young man tried to commit suicide by jumping in the Mula-Mutha river on Thursday and was saved by an alert beat marshal Ravindra Sable of Vishrambaug police station, who jumped after him and pulled him out of the water.

Sable hurt his leg due to the heavy current in the process and saved the young man's life. (HT PHOTO)

The incident occurred in the afternoon when Chetan Bhimrao Sakat, a resident of Chintamani Nagar in Hadapsar, was leaving from Poona hospital with his father. “The Poona hospital had diagnosed him with a mental condition and had asked them to go to Sassoon hospital,” according to constable Pathak of Deccan Gymkhana police station. On their way out of the hospital, Chetan threatened to jump off the bridge before jumping into the flowing river, which had a heavy current due to the recent rainfall, said the constable.

After Chetan jumped into the river, his father, 43-year-old Bhimrao Sakat raised an alarm. Sable, who was patrolling, responded quickly and jumped after Chetan. Sable hurt his leg due to the heavy current in the process and saved the young man's life. They were both rushed to the Sassoon General Hospital near Pune railway station.

“I was patrolling the area when I heard his father calling for help. I saw Chetan in the river and jumped after him. We went with the current until Bhide hospital before I found a way to come out. We were both taken to Sassoon Hospital. I started vomiting in reaction to the water and have a wound on my leg,” said Sable, who had returned to Vishrambaug police station by Thursday evening. Sable was shifted from Sassoon to Poona hospital, he said, and was given an injection, medicines and saline. Chetan was admitted to Sassoon hospital, where his father is looking after him.

While Sable works at the Vishrambaug police station, the incident happened in the part of the bridge which is under the Deccan Gymkhana police station. Under the new Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, attempted suicide was decriminalised.

“Notwithstanding anything contained in section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, any person who attempts to commit suicide shall be presumed, unless proved otherwise, to have severe stress and shall not be tried and punished under the said Code. The appropriate government shall have a duty to provide care, treatment and rehabilitation to a person, having severe stress and who attempted to commit suicide, to reduce the risk of recurrence of attempt to commit suicide,” Section 115 of the Act reads.