They come alone to end life: DC

BENGALURU: If you’re planning a solo trip to enjoy the breathtaking view from Nandi Hills , 61km from Bengaluru, here is bad news. Chikkaballapura district administration has banned entry of singles to the hills to check increasing incidence of suicides at the picnic spot.According to the authorities, most suicide victims were found to have come alone to the hill station and jumped off Tipu Drop, a popular viewpoint from the hill. Sources said that people travelling alone are stopped at the fee counter and sent back.During Tipu Sultan’s reign, prisoners sentenced to death were pushed off the cliff. Many suicide cases were reported from the spot this year too.Chikkaballapura deputy commissioner Anirudh Sravan P said the decision was made after studying the pattern of deaths reported there. “In many cases, the victims had come alone,” he claimed. “We’re not for a ban. We are very much against people coming here to commit suicide. One guard is permanently placed near Tipu Drop. But there have been instances of people jumping off the cliff,” he added.In September, the district administration had organised Nandi Santhe festival to promote tourism. The guards at the spot are a relieved lot now, but the restriction has not gone down well with many travellers. Vinod, a software engineer who loves going on long solo rides, said: “During weekends, I travel to nearby places on my bike and Nandi Hills is one of them. If people are going there to commit suicide, they must beef up security. Nowhere in the world such a rule exists.”Yangchen Tibet Dolkar, director of an engineering firm, said: “This is insane. Instead of improving security arrangements, the authorities are discouraging travellers. While solo travelling is a trend across the world, this will affect the image of Nandi Hills as tourist destination.”Police were yet to receive official communication, but they said they don’t prevent all single persons from entering the hills. A police officer said visitors’ faces say a lot: “If they look depressed, we take them to the police station and counsel them. There have been instances where we’ve managed to counsel those coming with an intention to end life and alerted their guardians.”