The presence of mind of a constable posted at the Telangana Secretariat’s North Gate saved the life of a 33-year-old woman who jumped into Hussainsagar Lake on Saturday morning, allegedly attempting to end her life.
E. Ashok Kumar, a 2018-batch constable of the Telangana State Special Police (TSSP) posted at the Secretariat, saw the woman while she was standing near the lake, staring into it. “She was alone in the scorching heat around 11 a.m. and was staring into the water. I then noticed her trying to climb the railing and started to approach her. However, by the time I could cross the road and dart towards her, she had jumped in,” explained the constable.
Ashok, a swimmer since childhood, instinctively jumped in after the woman to rescue her while other officials at the Secretariat gate called the Lake police to alert them of the incident. “We actually got stuck in the mucky water, and she kept yelling and asking me to back off. She said she does not wish to live and kept pushing me away,” said Ashok. The water level was at his chest, said added the policeman, who stands about 170 centimetres tall.
Officials from the Lake police, who counselled the woman, a homemaker, said she has been married to a software engineer for about eight years and that they were residing in Attapur. “After much persuasion, she explained that she was upset over her inability to conceive owing to a some health issues,” said the officials, who then called her husband and her siblings to take her home after counselling.
(Roshini suicide prevention helpline number are: 8142020033/44 and 040 66202000/2001.)
