“Don’t Turn On Lights”: Citing Health Issues, Man Inhales Toxic Gas, Dies

Bogged down by health issues, a man died by suicide in the suburbs of Mumbai by inhaling carbon monoxide gas.

The 27-year-old, who lived in a rented house in Mumbai-bordering Vasai, wrote in a suicide note taped next to his bed that he was suffering from small fibre neuropathy and autonomic neuropathy, both of which cannot be cured.

The incident came to light when the man’s Bengaluru-based sister sent an e-mail to the Mumbai Police after not hearing from him since Saturday. The Mumbai Crime Branch traced his mobile location to the Kaman area in Vasai.

On arriving at the bungalow where the man was staying, the Naigaon police found a note on the door that read “Carbon monoxide inside, don’t switch on the lights”. He was found wearing an inhalation mask connected to a carbon monoxide cylinder. The windows had been sealed shut with the help of a carpenter to prevent gas leakage.

“Both the medical conditions have no cure and have rapidly progressed in the span of last 1.5 years. I have consulted dozens of doctors but no one was able to help. These medical conditions have made me so miserable. I am on the verge of losing my job. The conditions won’t ever allow me again to work and earn and live a good life,” he wrote in the suicide note.

He also wrote that his friends and family supported him during his period of sickness, but he was left with no other option as his “health had become miserable”.

The police have registered a case of accidental death and are investigating the source of gas cylinders.