TIRUCHY: An 18-year-old youth allegedly died by suicide inside a Tiruchy temple in the wee hours of Friday. Police indicated the youngster had mental health problems which may have led to his death.
The youth, identified as Radhakrishnan, was a resident of Maharashtra and worked as a sweeper under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. He had arrived in Tiruchy last month, with his three sisters, brother and mother, to attend the wedding of a relative. During his stay in the rockfort city, police said the youth seemed “addicted” to his mobile phone and even started hallucinating that there was some evil spirit inside the device.
"Alarmed over his behaviour, the mother and relatives took the boy to various mosques and temples. However, the boy, who was with his cousins, is said to have ran away from the house and ended his life," said a police official investigating the case.
Once the family realised the boy was missing, they started searching for him in various places around the neighbourhood. However, to their shock, he was found dead, apparently having killed himself, at the Karuppasamy temple nearby, the police official added.
Police were alerted about his death and a case was registered. The youth’s body was sent to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tiruchy for postmortem examination. Police are conducting further investigations.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA's 24x7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance.)