An ISD call and a chase across Delhi and Mumbai avert possible suicide
New Delhi: An adept Facebook official in Ireland quick to the button and quick thinking on the part of police officials in both Delhi and Mumbai saved a Delhi resident from possible suicide in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.
When DCP (CyPAD) Anyesh Roy on Saturday night received an ISD call at 7:51 pm he had no idea what to expect. On the other side of the line was a Facebook employee who informed Roy of an account registered to a Delhi resident which showed "suicidal activity". She added that she would send other details in an email.
Within five hours, officials of Delhi Police managed to identify the account, trace the person using it to Mumbai and alert police officials in the city, who also managed to track the man down, thus preventing him from possibly taking his own life. By midnight, when Mumbai Police reached the man — Rajesh (name changed to hide identity) — he was said to be in a "lot of psychological distress".
DCP Roy said that when they first started tracking the Facebook account, they traced the user to one Sumati Daas (name changed to protect identity). When police reached her registered address in East Delhi to check up on her, she herself was surprised to find out her Facebook account had led to an intercontinental hue and cry.
Daas told police officials that the Facebook account was operated by her husband - Rajesh - who had left home 14 days ago after a domestic argument and worked as a cook in a small Mumbai hotel. She added that she knew his phone number but did not know his address.
Unable to reach Rajesh over the phone, Delhi Police immediately got in touch with Rashmi Karandikar, DCP (Cyber) Mumbai Police, who mobilised resources on her end at the earliest to track down the purportedly suicidal man. Her efforts paid off when Rajesh switched his phone on briefly and local police got to him in minutes to take charge of the situation. DCP Roy said DCP Karandikar spoke to the distressed man, counselled him and dispatched local police to avert what could have been a tragic end to a man's life.
