Varanasi, July 12: A vegetable seller, Vishal Sonkar, tragically ended his life by jumping into the Ganga river after cops made a schoolgirl slap him thrice in public for allegedly passing lewd remarks at her in the Nagwa area under Lanka police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on Wednesday. The incident began when Sonkar, 22, allegedly made lewd remarks towards a schoolgirl, leading to his public shaming.

TOI reported that the girl, en route to school on her bicycle, had a heated argument with Sonkar. CCTV footage revealed that plainclothes police officers arrived at the scene, with one officer slapping Sonkar. Subsequently, the officer called the girl over and had her slap Sonkar three times before leaving. Distressed by the humiliation, Sonkar later took his own life. Chennai: Teen Couple Enters Suicide Pact, Ends Life Together by Walking Into Sea After Parents' Objection to Their Relationship.

The incident led to a massive protest by Sonkar's family, locals, and leaders from the BJP and SP outside the Lanka police station, demanding action against the officers involved. The protest continued until late night, prompting swift police response. Kashi zone DCP Suryakant Tripathi arrived around midnight and suspended the concerned sub-inspector and constable. He also ordered an investigation into the role of the police station in-charge and initiated a departmental probe. Student Suicide at Basara IIIT: 17-Year-Old Student Ends Life by Hanging Self in Hostel on Campus of RGUKT.

Sonkar, a resident of Parorwa in Chandauli district, was staying at his sister’s in-laws’ place in Nagwa and ran a vegetable and fruit shop in the locality. His father, Sharda Sonkar, is a home guard currently deployed at the Lanka police station. The police maintain that Sonkar had been harassing the girl for the past three days, but the public outcry over the handling of the situation has led to scrutiny of police conduct.

Suicide Prevention or 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 12, 2024 09:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).