After viral ‘littering’ video and police notice in Goa, college student dies by suicide

Police said the student was summoned to the police station as per protocol and issued a notice, after which he was allowed to leave.

Mapusa Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Salim Shaikh said, “We received a complaint that the youth was illegally dumping garbage on the roadside, and the video had gone viral on social media. We examined the incident and registered an offence under the Goa Non-Biodegradable Garbage Control Act. Under this Act, the punishment most commonly meted out is a fine, though imprisonment is also one of the options, depending on the discretion of the court.”

“We called him to the police station, interviewed him, issued a notice to him, and sent him home. At that time, there were many people at the police station and several matters were ongoing, so it took us some time to deal with him,” said Shaikh.

Police said that between 1.30 am and 2 am on Thursday, they received a call about the death of the man from a gunshot wound. Police said he shot himself with a gun, adding that an investigation is being conducted to ascertain the circumstances of his death and from where he got access to the weapon. No note has been recovered, and inquest proceedings are underway, said an official.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the media that an inquiry has been ordered to probe the incident.

“We have registered a separate case of unnatural death and are probing the matter. The investigation is ongoing and is at a preliminary stage,” said SDPO Shaikh.