Shillong witnessed two suspected suicide cases on Thursday, with one involving a man found hanging from a flagpole inside the Laban Police Station premises. The deceased, identified as 38-year-old Mithun Gurung of Lumparing, was discovered by a home guard volunteer on duty in the early hours.
Details of the Incident
East Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem stated that Gurung was first seen outside the police station gate before the unfortunate incident came to light. He entered the premises at approximately 6:43 am and was found hanging within minutes. The act happened very quickly, Syiem told media persons.
Preliminary investigation suggests the man might have been mentally distressed and had a history of alcoholism. There are indications he may have experienced hallucinations, which could have influenced his actions, the SP added.
Investigation Challenges
CCTV cameras inside the Laban police station were temporarily non-functional. Investigators used footage from nearby surveillance systems, including Smart City cameras, to piece together the events.
Second Suicide Case
In another incident, the body of a 21-year-old man, Vijay Kumar Singh from Riatsohkhlur (3rd Mile, Upper Shillong), was found partially hanging at around 5 am. The body was in a seated position near a window ledge with a rope around the neck, indicating partial hanging. There were no injury marks, and prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide, the SP said.
Police are awaiting post-mortem examination reports for both cases. Unnatural death cases have been registered, and investigations are underway.
