A man allegedly tried to commit suicide on Thursday by jumping off the sixth floor of Mantralaya, the headquarters of the Maharashtra government in south Mumbai. The police said that the man survived due to the safety net installed in the building.
The individual did not sustain any significant injuries, and law enforcement has detained him for questioning regarding his actions.
In a widely circulated video, the man is observed crawling on the safety net covering the open space beneath the Mumbai Mantralaya, holding a set of documents. The footage also depicts a police officer on the safety net attempting to persuade the man and subsequently rescuing him.
The video shows several people outside the Mantralaya as the high drama unfolded.
#WATCH | Man jumps from the upper floor of the Mantralaya (the administrative headquarters of Maharashtra govt in Mumbai), lands in safety net installed in the building; police reached the spot to rescue the man. Further details awaited
(Visuals confirmed by police) pic.twitter.com/MIhZiDH4hY
— ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2024
“A man jumped off the second floor of Mantralaya. He fell on the safety net put up there, so there was nothing untoward and he was safe. The man has been taken into custody and further investigation is underway,” Mumbai Police told news agency ANI.
Last month, a group of protesters, demanding a hike in compensation for the people affected by a dam project, descended on the safety net set up on the first floor at the Maharashtra secretariat, reported news agency PTI.
Police detained more than 40 people, an official said.
“Protestors shouting slogans and carrying placards approached the safety net in the afternoon. Police personnel and officers present at the spot tried to drag them away,” an official said.
The safety nets in the main Mantralaya building were set up as a precautionary measure to prevent any suicide attempts. The nylon safety net was installed outside the lobby of the building a few years ago after a man killed himself there.