UP woman’s suicide bid: Thwarted after social media post; alert triggers rescue, saves life

NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old woman, distressed by her family's pressure to marry, posted a concerning message on Instagram that hinted at a possible suicide. Fortunately, her post alerted Meta, which led to a swift response from the police, officials said on Wednesday.A final-year undergraduate student from Devanandpur Nai Basti shared a concerning photo of capsules on Instagram with the message: "Goodbye, sorry mamma papa," at 7.42 pm on June 16.Meta promptly notified Uttar Pradesh Police's Social Media Centre in Lucknow about the concerning post.Upon receiving the alert, state DGP Rajeev Krishna directed officers to locate the woman using her registered phone number.A police team from Mill Area Police Station arrived at her residence within eight minutes, finding her unharmed but in emotional distress.The authorities provided her with counselling services and medical care, whilst engaging with her family members.Mill Area SHO Rajeev Singh explained, "The young woman wanted to focus on her education, but her parents were pressuring her to get married.Distressed over this, she made the post. Fortunately, we received the alert in time and were able to intervene. Both she and her family have now agreed to resolve the matter peacefully."

A comparable situation occurred recently in Deoria district, where authorities rescued a 20-year-old student following his distressing Instagram post.On June 12, the youth from Bhalauni area posted a message in Hindi stating, "Forgive me, brothers, today I'm going to die," accompanied by an image showing a noose around his neck.Meta alerted the UP Police Social Media Centre in Lucknow at 3.44 pm. The information was subsequently forwarded to Deoria district police with location details.A police sub-inspector from Bhalauni reached the student's residence within 12 minutes and prevented his suicide attempt.The student disclosed that his parents' unpaid bank loan and a recent notice had caused him significant stress. A heated discussion about the matter left him feeling responsible, leading to his actions.Following counselling, the student provided assurance to the authorities that such behaviour would not recur.According to police records, the partnership between Meta and UP Police successfully prevented 1,024 suicides across the state from January 1, 2023, to June 16, 2025, through social media monitoring.