Family Suicide Pact: Dad, Sons Tried To Jump From Bridge, Police Rescue Them

Authorities in the Indian state of Assam were able to stop a father and his children from jumping over a bridge and killing themselves.

The father, identified as Bipul Kumar, attempted to jump from Guwahati's Saraighat Bridge into the Brahmaputra River Wednesday with his two sons, local newspaper The Sentinel reported. The sons' names were not disclosed.

However, police were aware of the trio's intent and were able to stop the family's suicide attempt, according to the outlet.

All three were later taken to the Jalukabari police station for investigation.

Kumar became "emotionally broken" after his roadside hotel, which is located near Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), was allegedly destroyed by officials of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Wednesday.

Prior to this, GMC officials had allegedly vandalized Kumar's hotel repeatedly, which caused "extreme loss" to Kumar as he managed his family's survival through the establishment.

The hotel's destruction Wednesday, which was allegedly done on the orders of a GMC official named Partha Pratim Baruah, drove Kumar to decide to kill himself along with his two children by jumping from the Saraighat flyover of Guwahati.

Guwahati police have initiated an investigation into the matter.

A similar incident happened in the state of Kerala nearly two weeks ago when a family of four took their lives in an apparent suicide pact.

The four, identified as 40-year-old Ashif, his 35-year-old wife Abeera and the couple's 14- and 7-year-old daughters Ashara Fathima and Anounissa, were found dead in one of the rooms at their home in the city of Kodungallur on Feb. 20.

Authorities decided to inspect the room after the family failed to come out of it past 10 a.m. that day.

A suicide note was later recovered from the home, which attributed the cause of the suicides to a "financial crisis," according to Thrissur rural district police chief Aishwarya Dongre.

A case was registered, and a probe into the deaths was launched.

Neighbors and relatives of the four were surprised to know that the family was facing a financial crisis because they considered them rich.

However, the family reportedly received a property attachment notice as they had defaulted on some loan repayments.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.