Gujarat: Vadodara cousins video call friends before jumping in river

VADODARA: In an incident that has left their family and friends shocked, two cousins jumped in Mahi river in Savli taluka of Vadodara in Gujarat on Wednesday evening.
Their bodies were fished out of the river by the fire brigade officials on Thursday morning. The Savli police have registered a case of accidental death and begun investigations into the reasons behind their extreme step.
Interestingly, the duo, identified as Yuvraj Chauhan, 20, and Nilesh Chauhan, 20, both residents of Khorvad village in Anand, called up their friends before taking plunge in the river.
“They first called their relatives and told them that they are leaving their home and planning to end their lives. The relatives frantically asked them the reason but the duo didn’t reveal anything," a police official said.
"They then reached the bridge in Poicha village on motorbike and parked it there. Moments before jumping off, they called their friends and said that they were going to end their lives. When the friends didn’t believe it, the duo made video call to their friends from the bridge," the police said. They then kept their mobile phones on the bridge and jumped at about 6.30pm.
Passers-by saw them jumping in the river and immediately informed the police. Even firemen rushed to the spot, but they couldn’t find their bodies in dark. On Thursday morning, their bodies were found about 50 feet away from the spot where they had jumped.
“The duo belong to the same family and shared a close bond with each other. They stayed in the same village and were always together. We asked their families but they have no clue why the two took the extreme step,” said Ganpat Khant, head constable, Savli police station.
While Nilesh is married, Yuvraj is single. The cops are probing if the duo had any financial problems that pushed them to end their lives.