UP Police saves man attempting suicide after Meta alert

A 24-year-old man in Shahjahanpur was prevented from dying of sleeping pills, an act he livestreamed on Instagram, after Meta alerted police, authorities said on Friday.

The Bhudia village native was rushed to a hospital by police and was discharged after treatment.

According to an officer, the man attempted suicide because he was upset with his parents scolding him.

Superintendent of Police Rajesh S said, "Mohan (name changed) posted a live video on Instagram late Thursday night, saying, 'Oh God, take me with you. When will I die!' He held six sleeping pills in his hand and consumed them during the video."

The alert was flagged by Meta's Social Media Centre and forwarded to the UP police headquarters with the video and the user's location at 11.05 pm.

Meta relayed the information to Shahjahanpur Police at 11.17 pm. The local Katra police team reached Bhudia village, 9 km away, in just 12 minutes, the officer said.

"Google estimated 16 minutes for the route, but our team arrived faster," the SP said.

Police found Mohan in an unconscious state and immediately transported him to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Katra.