Mumbai businessman jumps to death from Atal Setu; second incident in 3 days

A 52-year-old businessman allegedly died by suicide by jumping off the Atal Setu sea bridge connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place on Wednesday, the second such suicide on the Atal Setu in three days as a banker had ended his life in a similar manner on Monday.

“The businessman, Philip Shah, ended his life by jumping off the Atal Setu on Wednesday morning. Shah, a resident of Matunga in central Mumbai, drove his sedan car on the Atal Setu, parked it at some point and jumped into the sea,” he said.

“Staff from the CCTV control room of the bridge noticed that a car was parked on the bridge, following which a rescue team was alerted. Its personnel rushed to the spot from where Shah jumped into the sea. Following a search operation, they found him,” he said.

He was rushed to a hospital, but declared dead on admission, the police official said.

The deceased person's identity was established on the basis of his Aadhaar card, which was found in the car, he said, adding that the victim was apparently under mental stress in the last few days before his death.

A case of accidental death was registered at the Nhava Sheva police station in Navi Mumbai, he said.

The 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu', also known as the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), that connects south Mumbai with the satellite city of Navi Mumbai, was inaugurated in January this year. The six-lane bridge is 21.8 km long and is said to be the longest sea bridge in the country.