Bengaluru teen jumps in front of metro after fight with parents over phone use

Sources say that 18-year-old Rajan* was unhappy about failing his Class X exam 2 years ago and had taken to excessive mobile phone usage, which his parents disapproved.

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Hours after an 18-year-old man attempted suicide by jumping in front of a metro train in Bengaluru, he met with Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and allegedly said he suffered from depression after failing his Class 10 examination two years prior. Rajan* is a resident of Netkalappa Circle in Basavanagudi area.

On Thursday night, Rajan and his parents allegedly argued about his excessive mobile phone usage. Sources say that Rajan had become very attached to his mobile phone, which his parents found problematic. His mother allegedly put a lot of pressure on the teen to retake the exam after he failed.

Rajan was seen jumping off the platform at the National College Metro Station at around 11.15 am on Friday. Metro services were disrupted for an hour as the police had cordoned off the area in order to rescue Rajan, who was stuck under the train. He was rushed to Victoria Hospital and later transferred to NIMHANS, where he is undergoing treatment. In a video, CM Kumaraswamy is seen talking to Rajan and enquiring about his health condition. Rajan has sustained severe head injuries and is currently at NIMHANS, where he is undergoing treatment.

"Why did you take such a drastic step?" Kumaraswamy asks Rajan in the video to which the 18-year-old is initially heard saying that he only wanted to board the train and that it was an accident.

"I have seen the video. You ran and jumped before the train stopped on the platform," Kumaraswamy is heard telling Rajan in the video. Rajan then tells Kumaraswamy that he does not remember what happened.

The video ends there. However, sources who were present at NIMHANS along with the chief minister said that Rajan allegedly said he was depressed about his parents constantly trying to curb his mobile phone usage. "He was upset that his parents constantly told him not to use his mobile phone. He was also said that he was depressed about failing Class 10 exam a couple of years ago. On Thursday night, he argued with his parents when they told him to stop using his mobile phone. He said he felt helpless, which is why he decided to take such a drastic step," the source added.

Chief Minister Kumaraswamy also appealed to students to not take drastic measures but to seek help if they are stressed. He also advised parents to not put excessive pressure on children. "It is natural to see students and their parents under pressure. During this time school/colleges and parents have to create an environment to make students without any stress and similarly students must take the advices of their parents and teachers with sportive spirit and concentrate on their studies," Kumaraswamy said.

If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help.

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