Death of kin, illness and depression push Santa Cruz resident over the edge

A 64-year-old woman committed suicide by jumping off her building terrace on Tuesday morning in Santa Cruz west. According to the police, Hansaben Chandrakant Parekh was suffering from depression after the deaths of her husband and son.

Parekh, a resident of Ganga Nivas building in Khotwadi in Santa Cruz, lived with her daughter-in-law Mamta. On Tuesday, at around 11.30 am when Mamta went to a nearby bank to withdraw money, Parekh climbed up to the terrace of their four-storey building and leapt off. Parekh suffered severe head injuries and was declared dead before arrival when rushed to the Cooper Hospital.

Parekh's son had died of cancer in 2001. Her husband Chandrakant died from a kidney ailment in 2006, after which Parekh began suffering from depression. "She also had several health problems like blood pressure and diabetes and was upset because of them," said a senior police officer from Santa Cruz police station. Parekh's daughter, who lives in the US, used to send money every month towards their daily expenses.

"Parekh was upset about being alone in the house as her daughter-in-law spent a lot of time buying vegetables and other household items," said the officer. Parekh did not leave a suicide note. Mamta, in her statement, did not raise suspicion on anyone, said the police.

DNA Correspondent/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication