NEW DELHI, AUGUST 10, 2017 01:34 IST: A 19-year-old Delhi University student who hailed from Manipur allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his rented accommodation in north Delhi’s Burari on Tuesday. His body has been kept at the mortuary for a post-mortem examination, which will be conducted after his family reaches Delhi.
‘Didn’t take him seriously’
#Hijam Bharat,(19 yrs from #Thoubal_AAthokpa) a 2nd year student of Bachelors of Arts (Programme) at Satyawati College, had told his friend about his decision just hours before he killed himself. “Around 4:30 p.m., when we were returning from college, he told me he was going to commit suicide. He didn’t tell me why he was planning it. I didn’t take it seriously,” said the 19-year-old who did not wish to be named.
The body was discovered by Hijam’s neighbours after they peeped through a window.
Bharat’s cousin Amom Rohen (22) and his other flatmate were not present when the incident happened. “I had gone to south Delhi for some work. Around 8 p.m., I got a call from Hijam’s mother and a female friend that he wasn’t picking up his phone or replying to messages. I called our neighbours and asked them to check,” Mr. Rohen told The Hindu.
The neighbours rang the doorbell and called out to him, but receive no response. They then went to the gallery of the adjacent house and peeped through the window to see him hanging,” the cousin added.
“They [neighbours] sounded scared when they called me. They hadn’t gone inside. I asked them to call the police. I reached around 9.15 p.m., which is when the police also got there,” he added.
A senior police officer said that the crime scene had been thoroughly inspected. “It looked like he hung himself around 7 p.m.,” said the officer.
His friends, meanwhile, said that Hijam had been upset for a while.
Social media updates
“He had updated his WhatsApp status to ‘Rest in Peace’ six days ago, but we didn’t see it till after his death. He also shared four photos around 6 p.m. — of his father, mother, close friends, and one with the ‘no phones allowed’ sign superimposed on his own photo,” said the cousin.
According to his friends, Hijam often complained about his appearance.
A friend who did not wish to be named said that Hijam had braces and wanted a jaw surgery done.
“At one point, he said that he hated what he saw when he looked into the mirror,” said the friend.
Mr. Rohen added that he had been asking his parents for money for the surgery since the last two months. “He told them he would come to Manipur if they didn’t send him the money,” he said, adding that the two had even visited a doctor recently. The doctor, said Mr. Rohen, had said that Hijam didn’t need any surgery. “He was constantly worried about becoming handicapped,” he said.
DCP (North) Jatin Narwal said the police have initiated inquest proceedings.
This is so depressing. I wish he had known or someone would have guided him to a psychologist or a therapist. It can not be reverse which is unfortunate. I hope our society learns from this and understand the importance of mental health.