Kashmir Teen Hangs Himself

A teenage boy committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling at his residence in a north Kashmir hamlet, police said.

The body of Imran Ahmad Khan (15) was found hanging by his family members last night following which he was rushed to hospital in Handwara town where the doctors declared him brought dead, they said.

No suicide note has been recovered so far from the spot .

Suicide is a taboo subject in the devoutly Muslim state, so many suicide deaths are never reported. But the few figures available offer an insight into the darkest corner of Kashmir’s psyche.

Research from the Psychiatric Diseases Hospital says Kashmir’s suicide rate has increased 40-fold since militancy broke out over two decades ago.

Before 1989, Kashmir’s suicide rate was 0.5 per 100,000 people.


(Free Press Kashmir)