AP number 2 in India : National Crime Records Bureau Andhra Pradesh now has the dubious distinction of ranking second in the country in the number of reported suicides. On an average, 39 people a day end up killing themselves in the state.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), out of 1.22 lakh suicides every year in the country, Andhra Pradesh records around 14,224.
The large number of suicides among students and employees of IT companies has to do with increasing competition in the education and employment sectors, say experts.
NCRB analysts observe that while social and economic causes lead to most of the suicides committed by men, women are driven to suicide by emotional and personal causes.
According to the NCRB, in the past decade, there has been a 28 per cent increase in the number of suicides. Maharashtra accounts for the largest share at 12.4 per cent, followed by Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal at 12.1 per cent each.
Dr V. Pramod Kumar, the superintendent of the Mental Health Hospital, Erragadda, says, “Due to the changing economic scenario in the South, there is more competition to grab employment opportunities. Disappointed youth are developing suicidal tendencies. Mental illness can also cause people to commit suicide. The reason can also be genetic.” The NCRB report says that AP has been recording higher numbers of suicides in the past few years. The causes can vary from unemployment, to not being able to have children, to problems at work and non-settlement of marriage.
Osmania Medical College forensics department head, Dr M. Narayana Reddy, says that stress in students, failure in love affairs among the youth, poverty of farmers, unemployment, as among weavers, are “leading to frustration and the person takes recourse to death rather than life.”
Within the state, Karimnagar district has recorded the highest number of suicides, with 1,363 persons ending their lives in 2008, and 840 till September 2009. Adilabad registered 1,334 suicides and next was Kurnool. Srikakulam with 158 suicides was the lowest.
The problems that Gulf immigrants face could account for the large number of suicides in Karimnagar which has a large population of men employed in the Gulf, surmises CID IGP, Mr S. Umapathi.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), out of 1.22 lakh suicides every year in the country, Andhra Pradesh records around 14,224.
The large number of suicides among students and employees of IT companies has to do with increasing competition in the education and employment sectors, say experts.
NCRB analysts observe that while social and economic causes lead to most of the suicides committed by men, women are driven to suicide by emotional and personal causes.
According to the NCRB, in the past decade, there has been a 28 per cent increase in the number of suicides. Maharashtra accounts for the largest share at 12.4 per cent, followed by Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal at 12.1 per cent each.
Dr V. Pramod Kumar, the superintendent of the Mental Health Hospital, Erragadda, says, “Due to the changing economic scenario in the South, there is more competition to grab employment opportunities. Disappointed youth are developing suicidal tendencies. Mental illness can also cause people to commit suicide. The reason can also be genetic.” The NCRB report says that AP has been recording higher numbers of suicides in the past few years. The causes can vary from unemployment, to not being able to have children, to problems at work and non-settlement of marriage.
Osmania Medical College forensics department head, Dr M. Narayana Reddy, says that stress in students, failure in love affairs among the youth, poverty of farmers, unemployment, as among weavers, are “leading to frustration and the person takes recourse to death rather than life.”
Within the state, Karimnagar district has recorded the highest number of suicides, with 1,363 persons ending their lives in 2008, and 840 till September 2009. Adilabad registered 1,334 suicides and next was Kurnool. Srikakulam with 158 suicides was the lowest.
The problems that Gulf immigrants face could account for the large number of suicides in Karimnagar which has a large population of men employed in the Gulf, surmises CID IGP, Mr S. Umapathi.
Abetment to suicide legal implications
In most abetment to suicide cases, the state police has failed to catch the abettors. Abetting a suicide is a punishable offence under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.
The woman boxer Amaravathi, who ended her life on November 4 by consuming poison in the L.B. stadium, was alleged to have done so because she was harassed by her coach, but the police have not taken any action against the coach.
Similarly, in a recent incident where four students of Villa Marie College allegedly drove their classmate Anusha to suicide, the city police have made no headway in establishing the guilt of the four students.
In another case, that of the agricultural officer B. Rajeswari of Devarakadra in Mahbubnagar, who ended her life allegedly because of harassment by the Telugu Desam MLA Seeta Dayakar Reddy, there is no progress as the courts have stayed the matter.
Mr S. Umapathi, IG of CID says, “The abetment to suicide section is a serious one. The burden of proof lies with the accused.”
The police claims that it is difficult to establish abetment to suicide and hence very few arrests are made.
Criminal lawyer, Mr P. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, says that “in an abetment to suicide case, there must be a clear malicious intention where an abettor should reap a benefit out of the death of the person. If a sensitive person ends his life because he is unable to bear remarks against him, and there is no ill motive, the accused shall not be prosecuted.”
The woman boxer Amaravathi, who ended her life on November 4 by consuming poison in the L.B. stadium, was alleged to have done so because she was harassed by her coach, but the police have not taken any action against the coach.
Similarly, in a recent incident where four students of Villa Marie College allegedly drove their classmate Anusha to suicide, the city police have made no headway in establishing the guilt of the four students.
In another case, that of the agricultural officer B. Rajeswari of Devarakadra in Mahbubnagar, who ended her life allegedly because of harassment by the Telugu Desam MLA Seeta Dayakar Reddy, there is no progress as the courts have stayed the matter.
Mr S. Umapathi, IG of CID says, “The abetment to suicide section is a serious one. The burden of proof lies with the accused.”
The police claims that it is difficult to establish abetment to suicide and hence very few arrests are made.
Criminal lawyer, Mr P. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, says that “in an abetment to suicide case, there must be a clear malicious intention where an abettor should reap a benefit out of the death of the person. If a sensitive person ends his life because he is unable to bear remarks against him, and there is no ill motive, the accused shall not be prosecuted.”
Suicides by hero worshipping fans
Suicides by hero-worshipping fans of film stars and politicians have also increased. Around 261 people in the country killed themselves last year for this reason, according to police records.
More frightening are the mass suicide pacts, in which entire families commit suicide. Kerala has the highest number of these cases followed by Andhra Pradesh with 34 cases this year involving 83 people.
In 2009, there were several suicides in AP by distraught followers of chief minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy following his death in an air crash.
In May 2009, N. Narayana Giri, a fan of Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi committed suicide after the poor showing of Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party in the Assembly and general elections. Most of this type of suicide occurred in the 15 to 29 age group, according to police statistics.
More frightening are the mass suicide pacts, in which entire families commit suicide. Kerala has the highest number of these cases followed by Andhra Pradesh with 34 cases this year involving 83 people.
In 2009, there were several suicides in AP by distraught followers of chief minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy following his death in an air crash.
In May 2009, N. Narayana Giri, a fan of Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi committed suicide after the poor showing of Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party in the Assembly and general elections. Most of this type of suicide occurred in the 15 to 29 age group, according to police statistics.
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