BHUBANESWAR: Amid the rising incidence of suicides in Odisha, Commissionerate Police will organise a workshop for its officers to investigate such cases thoroughly, and with empathy. Director of Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy Director, Dr Soumitra Pathare, will hold a one-day session for about 40 to 50 officers of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack marking the World Suicide Prevention Day to raise awareness, reduce stigma and encourage well-informed action.
The session will be organised in the first week of September and Pathare will guide the officers on how to investigate suicide cases. Officers will be trained on examining witnesses related to suicides and dealing with victim/deceased’s family members. The police officers will also be briefed about coping with the stress that they may undergo during the investigation. Information in such cases which should not be revealed to the media as per the guidelines will also be informed to the cops.
“In case of a suicide, family members, friends and close ones of a victim/deceased are seriously affected. The police will be guided to deal with everyone with empathy,” said a senior officer. Even if a case of abetment of suicide is registered, the police will be instructed to question the accused by showing sensitivity towards him/her, he added.
Odisha has witnessed a rise in the number of suicide cases in the last two years. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, the State reported 4,582 cases of suicide in 2019 and 5,546 cases in 2020.
Meanwhile, the police on Wednesday questioned a youth regarding the death of a 23-year-old software engineer in the city. The youth was reportedly in a relationship with the victim since 2018.