Kolkata man climbs down bridge after police lure him with job, biryani

Kolkata, Jan 23 (PTI) Kolkata Police had to make a promise of employment and lure a man with a biryani packet in order to convince him to come down from a bridge he had climbed with the intention of committing suicide, an officer said.

The incident happened on Monday afternoon causing much disruption to traffic through one of the busiest streets of the city for nearly half-an-hour, the police officer from Karaya station said.

The man, later identified as a 40-year-old resident of the locality, has been under severe emotional stress following separation from his wife and simultaneous financial constraints due to losses in his business, he said.

"Around 2.30pm, he was taking his elder daughter to Science City on his two-wheeler. He suddenly stopped near the bridge and told her that his mobile phone had fallen somewhere on the road and he was trying to spot it. Leaving her standing on the road, he climbed up the bridge and then threatened to jump off," the policeman said.

Onlookers said a team from the local police station along with personnel of Kolkata Police Disaster Management Group (DMG) and the fire department reached the spot and started talking with him, he added.

"We spoke to his daughter to understand the problem and accordingly planned the conversation to convince and bring him down. And finally, after we made the offers, he agreed to come down," the policeman said.

Police fear if the man had slipped from atop the bridge, he could have either hit the electric poles or would have fallen on the railway tracks beneath causing grievous injuries to him. PTI