Tragic debt-related suicides highlight need for mental health support in Bikaner |

Jaipur: Suicide of a couple in Bikanerwho poisoned their two children before killing themselves financial distresshas spotlighted the urgent need for mental health interventions for people with depression.
Bikaner police officials on Thursday said the family might have been saved had they made contact Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), founded in Bikaner after a similar incident last year. SPRC offers advice and mediation with creditors and services.
Bikaner Range Inspector General Omprakash said the number of suicides in the region is increasing, with at least 663 people dying by suicide in 2023 alone. “In their suicide note, the late couple Rahul and Ruchi described how their overwhelming debts caused by Ruchi’s long illness led them to take this extreme step,” Omprakash said.
SPRC was founded in December last year and has since counseled over 600 people, many of whom were on the verge of suicide. “We have had cases where individuals called the hotline just minutes before taking their own life. Six people were saved in such situations thanks to our immediate intervention,” the IG said.
SPRC’s approach is twofold. Here, medical professionals offer psychiatric advice, and police help with legal matters, including dealing with aggressive lenders. “We are taking action against loan sharks who charge exorbitant interest rates. When people have debts to banks, we intervene to negotiate and help borrowers restructure loans to make repayments manageable,” the IG added.
In cases where several people die together by suicide, the district police have to form an SIT to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths. This procedure aims to identify underlying problems and prevent similar tragedies.
To ensure this, Bikaner police have also compiled lists of people involved in protracted legal disputes Mental health support will be made available to you.