Shillong, April 23: Two separate cases of alleged suicide were reported in Shillong on Thursday, police said.
In the first incident, a 38-year-old man, identified as Mithun Gurung of Lumparing, was found hanging from a flagpole inside the premises of the Laban police station. East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said the body was discovered by a home guard volunteer on duty in the early hours of the morning.
According to the SP, the man had been seen outside the police station gate shortly before the incident. “He entered the premises at around 6:43 am, and within minutes he was found hanging. The act happened very quickly,” Syiem said, terming the incident unfortunate.
Preliminary findings suggest the deceased may 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.
Syiem clarified that while CCTV cameras inside the police station were temporarily non-functional, footage from nearby surveillance systems, including Smart City cameras, helped in the identification process. He noted that no missing report had been filed prior to the incident.
In a separate case, the body of a 21-year-old man, Vijay Kumar Singh from Riatsohkhlur (3rd Mile, Upper Shillong), was found at around 5 am. Police suspect it to be a case of partial hanging.
“The body was found 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,” Syiem said, adding that confirmation will follow after the post-mortem examination.
Police have registered cases of unnatural death in both incidents and further investigation is underway.
