Man Attempts Suicide in Jagannath Temple

BY: SUN STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Oct 04, JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — In a shocking incident, a 40 year-old man, a radio operator at 120 BSF battalion in Mizoram, attempted to commit suicide inside the Jagannath Temple on Sunday morning. The victim, identified as Anjan Kumar Swain, was rushed to Puri district headquarter hospital and later referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack in critical condition.

"Swain, a resident of Naindipur village in Kendrapada district, tried to kill himself by slitting his throat with a blade. The incident took place near Sri Jagannath Vedic Sikhyanusthan inside the 12th century shrine precinct on early Sunday morning," said Arun Kumar Dalei, inspector-in-charge of the Singhadwar police station.

Police recovered a suicidal note from Swain. "I want to die because I am frustrated with life,” Dalei said quoting the suicidal note. “Hand over my body to my family. Don’t harass my family," the note further read. The suicidal note was written in English.

"But Swain did not disclose whether the frustration stemmed out of family problem or professional dissatisfaction,” the inspector told. “The cause of his frustration will be ascertained when his family members arrive. The patient was not in a normal condition to speak," Dalei said.

"The incident did not impede shrine rituals," said Laxmidhar Pujapanda, public relations officer of Jagannath Temple.

The suicide attempt came nearly three months after an elderly woman committed suicide in Jagannath Temple on May 26. The 50-year-old married woman, identified as Saria Dash from Paniorada village in Khurda district, had allegedly hung herself inside an abandoned house at Koili Baikuntha (shrine garden) of Jagannath Temple. Puri collector had placed two Jagannath Temple police (JTP) personnel under suspension and removed two other security guards permanently.

The suicide had come close on the heels of a freak incident in which a deranged man scaled atop the 215-meter tall Jagannath Temple earlier in June.

In another tragic incident that had taken place on July 13, police recovered body of a 30-year-old man floating in a well at the premises of Jagannath Temple. The deceased, identified as Tapan Panda, was spotted inside the 70-feet well, popularly known as Jamuna Kua, located adjacent to the shrine kitchen. Based on the prima facie circumstances, police determined Panda’s death was an accident.