2 Rajasthan men announced suicide plan on Facebook, saved by family

Two men in Rajasthan’s Barmer who posted on Facebook they were going to commit suicide were saved after timely intervention by their family and the police.

Ramesh Meghwal, a resident of Barmer, wrote a Facebook post on July 3 that he is going to end his life. He consumed sleeping pills in a hotel room before posting about it.

“I am fed up with my life. I could neither be a good son nor a good family member. Please forgive me. I am going to commit suicide. Papaji please forgive me....and my kids, you too. I am doing all this on my own will and nobody is responsible for it,” Meghwal wrote.

Some of Meghwal’s friends saw the post and immediately informed his family members. After which his father asked his relatives in Barmer to go to the hotel he was in.

When Meghwal’s relatives reached the hotel, they found his room’s door locked from inside. They broke the door and found unconscious Meghwal lying on the bed. They took him to a hospital where he was saved.

His family told the media that he had completed his nursing course from Madhya Pradesh three years ago but could not find a job. He was under mental stress and took the step.

In another incident, Keshar Lal, a resident of Kanod village under Baytoo police station in Barmer, also attempted suicide on July 19. Lal went to the railway track and started a live video on Facebook.

A weeping Lal said he was upset with his wife and was committing suicide. He also appealed his friends to take care of his parents and other family members.

Police in Baytoo rushed to the spot after being informed about Lal’s video. Lal ran away after seeing the police team, which managed to find him after three hours. During interrogation, he did not tell the police anything but was released after his family members’ requested officials to let him go.

Facebook also looks for posts on patterns of suicidal thoughts using artificial intelligence technology and human moderators. If the software detects a potential suicide, it alerts a team of Facebook workers who specialise in handling such reports.

The system suggests resources to the user or to their friends such as a telephone helpline. Facebook workers sometimes call local authorities to intervene.