Man drowns in Narmada Canal after being stopped from meeting his children

 A 42-year-old man allegedly died by suicide in Ahmedabad after he was not allowed to meet his children and faced continuous harassment from his wife and her family. The incident took place near the Narmada Canal in Zundal.

The deceased, identified as Laxman Parmar, reportedly spoke to his younger brother before jumping into the canal. Based on a complaint filed by his brother Rahul Parmar, the Santej police in Gandhinagar have registered a case of abetment of suicide against Laxman’s wife Sumitra and her relatives.

​According to the complaint, Laxman married Sumitra in 2011. She is a resident of Ralisana village in Mehsana district. The couple had two children — a 12-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son.

Rahul stated that problems in the marriage began soon after the wedding. Sumitra was reportedly unwilling to live with Laxman’s joint family. Due to this, the couple shifted to a rented house in Ahmedabad. However, Sumitra frequently stayed at her parents’ home for long periods.

To avoid further conflict, Laxman later started living at his in-laws’ house in Ralisana about five years ago. During this time, he often told his mother and brother that his wife and mother-in-law were demanding money and mentally harassing him.

Although Laxman worked at a private firm and also drove a rickshaw to earn extra income, Rahul claimed that he was unable to save any money because of constant pressure from his in-laws.

On December 23, Laxman called Rahul and said he was being harassed again. He told him that his wife, mother-in-law Narmada, sisters-in-law Urmila and Geeta, along with two male relatives, had argued with him and threatened to stop him from meeting his children.

Later that evening, Laxman informed Rahul that he was leaving for Ahmedabad. Around 8 pm, he called again and said he was near Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. He told his brother that he had been beaten and once again denied access to his children.

Around 9 pm, Laxman made a video call to his sister, saying he was near the Narmada Canal in Zundal, close to Adalaj. During the call, he said he could no longer tolerate the harassment and was going to end his life. He told his family to take care of his children and said goodbye for the last time.

The family rushed to the location but found that Laxman had already jumped into the canal. After completing his last rites and observing the mourning period, the family approached the police.

Santej police have registered a case and begun further investigation into the matter.