Timely intervention by SHO saves 'dead' man in Delhi

A timely intervention by a senior police officer saved a man from being cremated after he was declared dead following a suicide attempt in north Delhi. Police said 21-year-old Raju allegedly attempted suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his house on Monday. They said he was a drug-addict and was tired of frequent scoldings by his family members. His mother and sister were out of town for some work while his brother and father had gone somewhere nearby when he hanged himself, the police said.

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A woman, who lives in the neighbourhood, had come to his house to switch on the water pump. There is a common water pump that the residents use. She saw that Raju was hanging from a ceiling fan. She raised an alarm and the police and an ambulance were called in. The police control room (PCR) van personnel and the CATS (Centralised Ambulance Trauma Services) staff declared Raju dead and were moving his body for post-mortem to a mortuary, police said.

Sanjay Kumar, the SHO of Bara Hindu Rao police station, however, suspected that the man could be alive as the ceiling he hanged himself from was too low for a man to die by hanging. He suspected that Raju's feet could still touch the ground while he hanged himself, the police said.

Kumar checked Raju's pulse and found it was still on, though very weak. Raju was rushed to a hospital where he was saved by doctors.

Raju told the police that he was frequently admonished by his family members for being a drug-addict and he attempted suicide as he was upset because of that. Police said he was being counselled.

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