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Vadodara Police & fire dept step in amid ‘suicide bid’, rescue woman who jumped into Narmada Canal

After being pulled out of the water, the woman was inconsolable and did not want to speak to anyone.

Senior police officers said that after being pacified, the woman was brought to the police station, where she underwent counselling to prevent her from taking such a step again.Senior police officers said that after being pacified, the woman was brought to the police station, where she underwent counselling to prevent her from taking such a step again. (File Photo)

A calm and prompt response from the Fatehgunj police station saved the life of a woman, who allegedly attempted suicide by jumping into the Narmada Canal in Vadodara city’s Chhani on Thursday evening. The woman, of Anand district, allegedly jumped into the canal in a bid to end her life after her “engagement was called off”.

According to personnel at the Fatehgunj police station, some passersby informed them that a woman was spotted sitting along the Narmada canal. Although a team of Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh Katara and woman constable Nitaben soon reached the spot and attempted to distract the woman from taking the extreme step, the woman jumped into the water body. As the police had alerted the fire department, a team arrived in the nick of time and rescued the woman from the canal within minutes.

After being pulled out of the water, the woman was inconsolable and did not want to speak to anyone. In videos of the woman’s rescue that surfaced online on Friday, constable Nitaben can be seen assuring the woman at the spot of the incident. Offering her a glass of water, Nitaben is heard telling the woman, “Calm down, You are like my sister, you do not need to be scared of anyone. I have come here for you…”

Senior police officers said that after being pacified, the woman was brought to the police station, where she underwent counselling to prevent her from taking such a step again. A senior official said, “She informed the police that she was heartbroken after her fiance called off the engagement. We gave her the courage to face the situation and urged her to not end her life over something like an engagement being called off… We will support and help her if she needs anything else. The presence of mind used by the two personnel of Fatehgunj police station and the coordinated effort with the fire department to rescue a woman’s life is indeed commendable.”

Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More

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