A woman died by suicide in Tamil Nadu

In Salem district of Tamil Nadu, a 39-year-old woman died by suicide while walking head on towards a moving bus after some people allegedly advised that her children-- daughter and a son, who are studying in a college-- would get financial compensation from the government if she died in a road accident, said police.

A 13-second CCTV footage of the accident from late June began circulating on social media on Tuesday which shows the mother, walking on the side of the road and when a bus approaches she walks ahead to the middle of the road. The bus knocks her down and immediately stops.

The Salem police had initially registered a case of accident. After the initial probe, the victim was identified as a sanitation worker employed on contract at the Salem district collectorate. “Those known to her have misled her that if anyone dies in a road accident hit by a bus, the government would give the family a financial compensation so she threw herself in front of the bus believing that the aid would be financial help for her children to complete their education,” a police official in Salem said. “She had died on the spot.”

The government does announce compensation to those injured in accidents. Even two days ago when a bus rammed into four women killing them, the CM had announced a compensation but there is no such precedents for suicides,” said an official requesting anonymity.