Kollam: Even as Kollam city gained the dubious distinction as the suicide capital of the country by recording the highest suicide rate among the 52 major cities, the authorities remained blissfully unaware of the new status. As per the 2011 data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau, the suicide rate in the city with a population of 11.1 lakh stood at 39.3 per cent, with 436 persons committing suicide in the year gone by.
The top officers in charge, including the district collector, city mayor and city police commissioner, when contacted by Express, seemed to be in the dark about the record set by the city. Some expressed shock while others raised doubts about the figures.
As per my knowledge the suicide rate in the district has been showing a downward trend. But I am not sure about the figures in the city, said District Collector P G Thomas. Mayor Prasanna Earnest said that it was new information for her, quickly adding that the City Corporation would soon announce new projects aimed at the prevention of suicide.
Ironically, this derogatory tag coincides with the citys recognition as a mega city. Kollam, along with 18 other cities, was included in the list of mega cities by the NCRB while bringing out the annual crime figures for 2011....
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01:48 PM, Jul 19, 2012
Chennai: Close on the heels of National Crime Records Bureau gave Chennai the dubious distinction of being the suicide capital of the country, the city recorded six suicides on Monday. Police said a couple in Chromepet immolated after a quarrel while a woman police constable set herself on fire in Royapuram after a domestic fight. Two engineering students hung themselves, one of them purportedly due to love failure in Nungambakkam...
11:12 AM, Jul 03, 2012
