Sikkim: Man dies by suicide in Namchi, found hanging near home

A lifeless body of 25-year-old Ujjal Darjee was found hanging from a kharaney tree near his home in Lower Mickhola on May 7.

The news broke at 12:02 p.m. when Sonam Doma Bhutia, the Ward Panchayat of Gairi Gaon, Lower Mickhola made a phone call to the Namchi Police Station. She reported that Ujjal, the son of Mohan Darjee had taken his own life by hanging himself with a chunni, a traditional scarf, around 8:00 a.m. that day. The tree where he was found stood just steps away from the house.

Ujjal worked as a temporary employee for the Sikkim Nationalised Transport (SNT) Department in Namchi, a job that kept him busy and connected to the town’s daily rhythm. But behind his workaday life, Ujjal was carrying a heavy burden. According to early police findings, he had been struggling with family problems for several months. These troubles weighed on him and a recent incident seemed to deepen his distress. On May 6, the day before his death, Ujjal’s father, Mohan scolded him for taking money from someone in Namchi. Though the details of that exchange remain private, it was a moment that might have stucked with him.

Around 7:00 a.m. on May 7, Ujjal left his house. When he didn’t return, his family grew worried and began searching the area and discovered Ujjal’s body hanging from the kharaney tree, the chunni tied tightly around his neck.

The Namchi Police responded to Sonam Doma Bhutia’s call. They arrived at the scene to begin their investigation. An inquest, a formal process to examine the circumstances of a sudden death, was conducted by the Executive Magistrate. This took place in the presence of independent witnesses and Ujjal’s family members. The police inspected the area around the tree, looking for any signs that might point to something other than suicide. So far, they have found no evidence of foul play or anything suspicious.

Ujjal’s body was sent to the District Hospital in Namchi for a medico-legal autopsy. After the autopsy was completed, the hospital handed Ujjal’s body back to his family under a formal handing-taking memo, a document that ensures proper procedures are followed.

The police have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, which deals with the investigation of unnatural deaths.

To support mental health awareness and suicide prevention, all media houses are now mandated to include Suicide Prevention Helpline numbers in their reports. The helpline numbers to be published are:

Toll-Free (24x7): 1800-345-3225

Landline: 03592-202111