Mumbai: On Saturday, a 45-year-old police constable, Mukesh Dev, allegedly died by suicide by hanging himself at his residence in New Police Colony, Andheri East, near Agarkar Bus Depot.
About The Case
Attached to the Armed Police Force of Marol (LA-4), Dev left a suicide note citing illness and family issues as reasons for his extreme step: “Children were not with me, and no one is responsible for my death. Illness and family issues led me to this decision.”
The Andheri police discovered his body at 4 pm after neighbours, concerned by his unresponsiveness, alerted the authorities. Dev was rushed to Cooper Hospital in Juhu, where he was declared dead at 5.15 pm. An accidental death report has been registered, and investigations continue. Dev had been battling jaundice for three months, which kept him off duty, and was also suffering from tuberculosis and alcohol addiction.
His wife and children—a son in class IX and a daughter in class VII—had been staying with her parents, leaving him distressed. Dev’s father, a retired assistant sub-inspector, lived with him. Previously, Dev served in the wireless department. This incident marks the third police suicide in Mumbai within four days, raising alarm over the mental health crisis in the force.
On Wednesday, Ganesh Raul, 32, from Samata Nagar police station in Kandivali, died by suicide by jumping in front of a train at Nalasopara railway station. Initially considered an accident, CCTV footage confirmed it as a suicide. On Thursday, Hrithik Chauhan, 25, a recent recruit from 2023, died by hanging in Bhayander after his mother left for her village. The motives for these suicides remain unclear. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently informed the Legislative Council that between 2022 and June 2025, 427 Mumbai police personnel died, with 25 by suicide.
Psychologist Dr Suresh Patil attributed such incidents to systemic issues. He said, “Police personnel have odd duty hours and face high work stress as they often do not get adequate leave. Alcohol and other addictions are also common. There is often a lack of coordination and communication between senior and junior officers.”
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