In Bikaner, 5 members of the same family committed suicide on 14 December. The bodies of four individuals were found hanging, while one person died from consuming poison. Those who committed suicide include a husband, wife, and three children. The police arrived at the scene and started an investigation, sealing the house from all sides. According to preliminary information, the cause of suicide is said to be extreme distress due to debt.
SP Tejaswini Gautam stated that the head of the family is Hanuman Soni, a resident of Antyodaya Nagar. He, along with his wife and three children, committed suicide. The ages of the children are between 14 and 16 years.
The deceased include the head of the family, Hanuman Soni, his wife Vimala Soni, son Mohit Soni, and daughters Rishi Soni and Gudiya Soni. SP mentioned that it is likely this group suicide took place 2 to 3 days ago because newspapers from the last two to three days were found outside the porch. Additionally, the milk was also kept there. Importantly, the family members did not want to witness each other’s deaths, so they took their lives in separate rooms.
The incidence of suicides in the country has witnessed a rapid increase over the past two years, posing a growing concern. Despite a decline in suicide cases in Rajasthan over the last three years, the state ranks second in collective suicide cases by family members nationwide. This concerning trend has come to light in the latest report from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
According to the NCRB 2022 report, there were 164,033 suicide cases in the country in 2021, which increased to 170,924 in 2022. The suicide rate in urban areas remained at 16.4 per cent. In Rajasthan, there were 5,343 cases of suicide in 2022, compared to 5,593 in 2021 and 5,658 in 2020.
Student suicides in the ‘coaching hub’ of the country
Kota also remained a main contributing factor which added to the numbers. In recent times, Kota, Rajasthan, renowned as the “coaching hub” or “Kota Factory” for engineering and medical entrance exams, is grappling with a concerning trend of student suicides. It is worth noting that incidents of suicide among coaching students in Kota are increasing continuously at an alarming rate. From January to now in 2023, a total of 28 students have committed suicide. The prevalent cause of these incidents appears to be academic stress, with family issues also cited as a contributing factor in some instances. The rising number of student suicides has raised significant concerns.
Collective suicide by family members
Of particular note are cases of collective suicide by family members, where Rajasthan reported 20 cases in 2022, resulting in the tragic loss of 43 lives. Tamil Nadu tops this list with 90 such cases, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. Additionally, Andhra Pradesh reported 13 cases, and Karnataka reported 7 cases of collective suicide in 2022.
The data also indicates a higher incidence of suicide among men compared to women. Family problems and stress were identified as the leading causes of 2,186 suicide cases in Rajasthan.
Notably, love relationships accounted for 529 suicides, while other factors included dowry-related issues (43 cases), post-marriage relationships (99 cases), marriage breakups (29 cases), business losses (13 cases), exam failures (107 cases), illness (611 cases), addiction (185 cases), property disputes (109 cases), unemployment (99 cases), and professional problems (56 cases). The cause remained unknown in 862 cases.
In terms of occupational backgrounds, farmers and seasonal labourers constituted a significant portion of suicide cases in Rajasthan in 2022, with 239 farmers and 1,429 seasonal labourers reported. Poverty was cited as a factor in 70 cases.
Breaking down the gender distribution, in 2022, out of the 5,343 suicide cases in Rajasthan, 3,925 were men, and 1,418 were women. Similarly, in 2021, there were 4,057 male suicides and 1,536 female suicides out of a total of 5,593 cases. In 2020, 4,027 men, 1,630 women, and one transgender person were reported to have committed suicide out of the 5,658 cases in Rajasthan. In the face of the alarming surge in suicide cases, the recent family tragedy in Bikaner serves as a poignant reminder of the profound impact of economic distress on individuals and families. The National Crime Records Bureau’s 2022 report sheds light on the distressing reality of collective suicides, emphasizing the need for comprehensive mental health support and debt relief mechanisms.
Similar cases of mass suicides in the past
Burari Suicides: The Burari deaths, also “Burari case” and “Burari kaand”, refer to the deaths of eleven family members of the Chundawat family from Burari, India, in 2018. Ten family members were found hanged, while the oldest family member, the grandmother, was strangled. The bodies were found on 1 July 2018; in the early morning after the death.
Sangli suicide pact: 9 members of the same family, belonging to a small village Sangli in Maharashtra committed collective suicide in 2022. A suicide note was found, which indicated the deaths were caused because of a suicide pact. Vadodara suicide pact: 6 family members attempted suicide in Vadodara, Gujarat in 2022 due to financial stress.
Madurai suicide pact: A family of 5 members attempted suicide in 2020 due to the fear of COVID-19.
