Engagement put off, 26-year-old jumps to death

By Asik Banerjee

When a nationwide lockdown was implemented first, 26-year-old Tejal Sodha was quite upset. After a very long search for a suitable life partner, the Vastral resident was finally going to get engaged, but the lockdown to battle coronavirus threw her plans out of gear. However, when the second and then the third lockdown was announced, Tejal could not handle it anymore and killed herself by jumping off the balcony of her seventh-floor apartment in Tejendra Crystal Apartment on Monday evening.

The news has left her family including her two brothers and parents shattered. For her father Ghanshyam, who runs a shop selling dog biscuits and other items, his daughter was his whole world.

However, Tejal was 26 - an age where she felt the pressure of not having found a groom yet.

Her parents had been searching high and low for quite some time, but they could not find a suitable match. Finally, their hunt paid off and the engagement was fixed for March 22.

That is when the Centre announced Janata Curfew and the betrothal had to be postponed. When the nationwide lockdown was announced the first time, Tejal felt a jolt. However, when the lockdown was extended for a third time, Tejal who was suffering from stress and depression could take it no more and took her life.

Ramol PI KS Dave said, "Due to imposition of the lockdown, the engagement got postponed. Her family was aware that Tejal was under depression as she had confided in them regarding the whole issue and also tried to pacify her. However, her increasing age caused her great anxiety."

Dave added, "The family had been trying to get her married for a while but they did not find a suitable match till now. The worry about her delayed engagement took its toll and Tejal committed suicide."


Consulting psychiatrist Hansal Bhachech said, "Normally such things are related to a person's personality and surrounding. Less resilience power, getting frustrated easily, getting impulsive are all traits of a depression type of personality. Such people generally need special care and attention from family during times of stress and anxiety. If a person has past history of depression, then they also need special attention and care. And when a person crosses their level of resilience and tolerance, they take such extreme steps."