Pune: Yerawada Police Rescue Distressed Engineer After 8-Hour Search Operation, Prevent Him From Suicide

Pune:

In a significant search operation, Yerawada police successfully traced and counselled a distressed engineer, who was on the verge of suicide, and handed him to his wife. The intensive eight-hour search operation began at 3:30 p.m. on December 24 and concluded in the early hours of December 25.

The 43-year-old engineer, a resident of Sangamwadi, had been grappling with severe mental stress following a massive financial fraud. According to the police, the man had invested Rs 10.75 lakh with an individual named Abhishek Birajdar, expecting a return of Rs 35 lakh. When the promised returns failed to materialise, the engineer filed a fraud complaint against Birajdar at Pimpri Police Station. Burdened by the financial fallout and his inability to repay those who had entrusted him with money, the man wrote a suicide note blaming Birajdar for the fraud and left his home.

His wife, alarmed by his sudden disappearance, reported the incident to the Yerawada police at 3:30 p.m. on December 24, sparking an urgent search operation led by Assistant Police Inspector Mahesh Lamkhade and his team.

Despite the engineer’s mobile phone being switched off, the police traced its last location to the Holkar Pul area at 6:45 p.m. However, their initial search efforts in the vicinity proved futile, raising fears that the man might have taken his life. Undeterred, the police intensified their efforts, and at 12:22 a.m. on December 25, they detected activity on his phone.

Using technical tools, the team identified his location in an open field near a church in Khadki. Immediately, the police rushed to the spot and found the engineer sitting alone in the field. The team immediately engaged with him, offering reassurance and counselling to ease his mental distress.

The rescue operation was executed by Assistant Police Inspector Mahesh Lamkhade, supported by Faujdar Shinde, Police Amaldar Amol Gaikwad, and Constable Kiran Ghute from the technical department, under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Shelke.

Speaking about the incident, Assistant Police Inspector Mahesh Lamkhade said, “The man is a shy person who was overwhelmed by the financial pressure and the inability to repay others. We counselled him extensively and worked to remove suicidal thoughts from his mind.”