New Delhi: A 15-year-old boy has died by allegedly committing suicide after jumping off the sixth floor of his residential building in the national capital, a police official said on Sunday.
According to the police, the incident took place at the Commonwealth Games village in east Delhi at about 8.30 p.m. on Saturday.
At the time of the incident, the boy was alone at his home as his parents had gone to the Mayur Vihar market.
“He was rushed to the Max hospital by his neighbours where he was being given treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries,” the police official added.
The spot where the boy fell was thoroughly inspected by the crime and forensic teams. It is yet to be ascertained as to why the teenage boy took the extreme step.
“So far, no foul play is suspected,” the official said, adding the police is investigating the incident from all angles.
According to data presented by the Union government in Parliament on December 14, as many as 11,396 children (below 18 years) have died by suicide in 2020, taking out an average of 31 minor deaths per day.
“As per available information by National Crime Records Bureau, the total number of suicide committed by children (below 18 years) during the last three years were 9,431 in 2018, 9,613 in 2019 and 11,396 in 2020,” said Ajay Kumar Mishra, Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
Notably, the Union Education Ministry has undertaken a proactive initiative ‘Manodarpan’ covering a wide range of activities to provide psycho-social support to students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional well-being during the Covid-19 outbreak and beyond.
Apart from the Education Ministry, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has started ‘NCERT Counselling Services for School Children’ in April 2020 to help school students across the country share their concerns.
This service is provided free of charge by nearly 270 counsellors across different regions of the country.