Down on his luck Guwahati businessman commits suicide by hanging himself

Guwahati: In a tragic incident, 38-year-old Amit Jalan, a down-on-his-luck businessman residing in the Fancy Bazar locality of Guwahati city in Assam, was found hanging in his residence in the morning hours of Wednesday, July 15.

Jalan had reportedly suffered massive losses in his business over the past few months, which led to his eventual emotional breakdown. "Neighbours are of the opinion that Jalan has ended his life because of the significant losses he incurred in his business. He reportedly once ran a thriving wholesale business in the buzzing Fancy Bazar locality. However, things nosedived in the last 4-5 months, and he was forced to rent out his counter", Ranjit Moran, Officer-In-Charge of the Panbazar Police Station, told The Sentinel Digital.

Moran further revealed that the death of the businessman has left his wife in shock and disbelief. "His wife is not in a condition to give a statement, but we have gathered that he was normal in the morning time. However, when his wife left the room at around 10, he killed himself by hanging. He lived alone with his wife; their only son lives with his maternal uncle", he said.

Although Jalan's business was taking a hit, he was apparently seeking a revival of his fortune and had begun new endeavours on the business front. "His death has come as a surprise to the community as he recently said that he had run a truck with a supply of potatoes from which he had pocketed upwards of Rs. 20,000, which would suggest that things were actually looking up for him. However, his death at this crucial juncture has left the people close to him in a state of bewilderment", Moran shared.

Jalan's death has come at a time when the world economy is facing one of its greatest foes yet – the new coronavirus or COVID-19. Lockdowns across the world have led to the closure of thousands of businesses and led to lakhs losing their employment.

Although the migrant labourers and daily-wage workers are the ones who have been hit the worst, the crisis has also burned a hole in the pockets of big business owners. In India, the lockdown called to arrest the spread of the pandemic could not have come at a worse time as already murmurs abounded that the nosediving economy desperately needed a shot in its arm. The woeful state of affairs eventually led to the Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi, announcing a Rs 20,000 crore package to offset the damage to the economy due to the COVID-19.

Also Watch: #NewsMakers: Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in an Exclusive chat with Oineetom Ojah