Unable to bear the loss of his son, a father allegedly died by suicide on Sunday, August 13. The victim, P Selvasekar, who is a photographer and a resident of Chromepet in Chennai, was reportedly depressed over the death of his 19-year-old son who had died a day earlier following his failure to clear National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam. Selvasekar was a single parent, raising his son alone after separating from his wife, according to DT Next. He used to run a photography studio.
On Saturday afternoon, Selvasekar’s son S Jegadeeswaran, who was preparing for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), allegedly killed himself after failing to clear the eligibility examination. Jegadeeswaran completed his Class 12 from a CBSE school in 2022 and had given the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test twice but could not clear the exam, according to reports.
Following his son’s death, Selvasekar in his complaint to the police said that his son was not eating properly and remained depressed over the possibility of not clearing NEET.
Selvasekar, who was at work, wanted to check on his son if he had lunch. However, he grew suspicious when his son did not answer his calls. He immediately called his house help to check on his son. Their domestic worker found Jegadeeswaran dead in the house, The Times of India reported.
The case is being investigated by the Chitalapakkam police.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.