Chennai: A suave superintendent of police thwarted a suicide attempt by a constable, who tried to shoot himself at Kancheepuram district police office on Thursday. Kancheepuram district SP Santhosh Hadimani convinced the 26-year-old constable to change his mind by sweet-talking and retrieved the rifle with which the constable threatened to shoot himself on Thursday morning.
The incident created tense movement at the DPO as this happened in the wake of more than 15 suicides by police personnel in Tamil Nadu since April this year.
It all began with the particular constable reaching the office of his inspector to inform about the three days leave from Thursday, which was sanctioned last week. But his superior told him that the leave was cancelled and asked him to go for an escort duty.
The constable, who had been asking for leave to go and visit his family, was frustrated and after collecting the rifle for escort duty started threatening to commit suicide using the rifle.
His colleagues, in a state of shock, tried to pacify him, but could not effectively convince him. When SP Hadimani came to know about the development he rushed to the scene and started talking to the constable. He assured the constable that he could trust him like and friend and told him that one don't have to kill self for not getting leave.
The constable told the SP that he had been asking for leave since last month and the inspector last week had sanctioned three days from Thursday. But he suddenly cancelled it. The SP then told the constable that he would sanction a week's leave instead of three days. Only after SP wrote it in the record book, the pleasantly surprised constable thanked the officer profusely.
The SP also arranged a private car for the constable to go home besides asking one of the constable's friends to accompany him to Coimbatore.
