100 Cases of Suicide, 1,500 Complaints of Domestic Violence in Ludhiana During Lockdown: Police

This is a dramatic rise from the numbers before the lockdown, during which a total of 60 suicide cases and 850 complaints of domestic violence were reported to the the city police. Depression, unemployment and financial problems have been found as some of the causes behind suicides.

New Delhi: Ludhiana Police on Sunday revealed that the number of suicide and domestic violence cases in the city have risen during the lockdown, with a total of 100 cases of suicide and 1,500 complaints of domestic violence being registered by the police in this duration, up dramatically from 60 and 850 respectively before the lockdown.

The police further attributed the surge in cases of suicide and domestic violence to depression, unemployment and financial issues.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Akhil Chaudhary said, “Suicide and domestic violence cases have increased during lockdown in Ludhiana, Punjab. 60 suicide cases and 850 complaints of domestic violence were reported before lockdown this year. During lockdown, 100 cases of suicide and 1,500 domestic violence complaints have been registered.”

“Preliminary probe suggests that depression, unemployment and financial problems are some of the reasons behind suicides,” the officer stated further, adding that it had also been observed that suicidal tendencies were increasing in the people belonging to the age group of 30-40.

Preliminary probe suggests that depression, unemployment & financial problems are some of the reasons behind suicides. It has also been seen that suicidal tendency is increasing among people between 30-40 age group: Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner of Police Akhil Chaudhary https://t.co/ckTqCe09B5

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2020

Notably, during the lockdown, there has been a surge in cases of suicide of domestic violence not just in India, but across the world. In India, a number of non-coronavirus deaths have been attributed to suicide due to distress triggered by the lockdown.

In fact, as per a report, on an average, five people have committed suicide everyday in Jharkhand due to mental depression triggered by the lockdown.

Similarly, a report released last month by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), which documented the number of domestic violence cases from the beginning of the lockdown-on March 25-till May 15, stated that there had been a rapid rise in domestic violence cases, with Uttarakhand, Haryana and Delhi, in that order, reporting the maximum number of such cases.