'Mentally Ill' Man Jumps In Front Of Moving Train, Dies

KEY POINTS

There was a "brief delay" in metro services due to the incident
Ajay Laxman Pakhale previously worked as a senior manager at Gas Authority of India Limited
The victim was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival

A "mentally ill" man and former senior manager allegedly died by suicide by jumping in front of a moving train at the Mayur Vihar-1 metro station on the Blue Line in east Delhi, India, on Sunday, police said.

Ajay Laxman Pakhale, a former senior manager at Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), reportedly jumped from the station's platform no. 1.

According to the officials' sources, there was a "brief delay" in metro services due to the incident also impacting other trains on the corridor, NDTV reported.

A passenger, who requested anonymity, said, "I boarded the train at around 1:50 p.m. from Noida sector 18 stations for Rajiv Chowk station, however, it got stuck at the next station at Noida sector 16.

"After a few minutes, it was announced that the train would not move further. All passengers deboarded the train, and it returned towards Noida. No train came for the next 20-25 minutes," the passenger said.

Earlier in the day, police said they received a call from the station controller of the Mayur Vihar-1 metro station, saying that a man had jumped in front of a moving train.

The victim was rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Later on, his father and sister were informed about the incident, a senior police officer said.

It was found during the inquiry that the man was "mentally ill" and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

"During an analysis of CCTV footage, it was found that the man jumped on his own from platform no. 1 at Mayur Vihar-1 metro station at 1:51 pm. Further inquiry is underway and inquest proceedings have been initiated," the officer added.

Pakhale did his M Tech from IIT-Kanpur and worked with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for four years. After that, he joined GAIL as a senior manager, but filed his resignation in November 2022, police said.

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.