Chennai, July 27: A 23-year-old cricketer, S Samuel Raj, tragically ended his life by leaping from the Kathipara flyover in Guindy, Chennai, on Friday morning as he was allegedly upset with not being selected for Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). Samuel Raj, an MBA holder from Virugambakkam, jumped from a height of 20 feet after stopping his two-wheeler in the middle of the flyover. Witnesses alerted authorities, and he was rushed to Chromepet Government Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

TOI reported that police did not find a suicide note, but inquiries revealed that Samuel Raj may have been distressed over not being selected for a city-based squad in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). Friends suggested that this disappointment might have driven him to take this drastic step. Live Suicide Caught on Camera in Punjab: Student Dies After Jumping From Water Tank in Kharar, Disturbing Video Surfaces.

"He did not send any last-minute messages to his friends or family," an officer stated. The police registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the BNSS Act and handed over his body to his father, Siva, after the postmortem. UP Shocker: Cop Dies by Suicide in Ghaziabad, Records Video Alleging Blackmail by Girlfriend; FIR Registered.

Quoting his friends, police sources investigating the case said that Samuel had been seemingly disturbed for the past few days due to not being selected for the state team as well as by franchises in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). "We suspect that this might be the reason for his resorting to the extreme step," a police source said.

Samuel Raj was a talented off-spinner, often compared to Indian great R Ashwin, and a hard-working player committed to the game. He was a regular member of the top teams in the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association's (TNCA) first division league for the past few years. Last year, he played for the TNCA XI side in the Buchi Babu tournament and led the South Zone side in the Vizzy Trophy, a national-level tournament organised by the BCCI.

Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Helpline Numbers:

Tele Manas (Ministry of Health) – 14416 or 1800 891 4416; NIMHANS – 080-46110007; Peak Mind – 080-456 87786; Vandrevala Foundation – 9999 666 555; Arpita Suicide Prevention Helpline – 080-23655557; iCALL – 022-25521111 and 9152987821; COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ) – 8322252525.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 27, 2024 04:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).