Woman jumps in front of train

HUBBALLI: A twin tragedy struck a family at Karur village of Ranebennur in Haveri district when two of its members died by suicide in a span of a few hours. The incident was reported on Saturday when 18-year-old Dhanaraj Nayak hanged himself at his residence when his parents were away. After returning home, when his mother Bhagyamma saw her son hanging, she ran to the nearest railway track and jumped in front of a train and died.

Bhagyamma and her husband Suresh Nayak were daily wage workers and their son Dhanaraj was studying at Harihar in Davanagere. Last year, their 14-year-old daughter passed away due to illness.

The Kumarapatnam police said Dhanaraj was demanding a racing bike from his parents for some time and on Saturday morning, he had an argument with them again over the issue. His father reportedly agreed to buy him a bike, but later in the day the boy took the extreme step.

Police said Bhagyamma went to the railway station at Karur, waited for a train and jumped in front of it. The matter came to light only after her husband returned home.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation – 04424640050, Tele Manas – 14416 (available 24×7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline – 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)