Mangaluru: Sanjeev M. Patil, Superintendent of Police, said on Friday that the police would put up boards at places in the district where more unnatural deaths had been reported.

Speaking to the press persons during the weekly phone-in programme, Dr. Patil said that the recent unnatural death of a youth by jumping off a railway bridge at Perampalli was a case in point. The boards were intended to prevent people from committing suicide. These would also be installed near lakes and ponds.

This move was being implemented as unnatural deaths had shown an upward trend in the last three years. The total number of unnatural deaths — including suicide by drowning, hanging, burning, and poisoning; and accidental deaths by drowning, burning, snake bites and other accidental deaths — was 708 in 2015. Of these, 568 were males and 141 were females.

However, this number increased to 843 – 660 males and 186 females – in 2016. As many as 619 unnatural deaths –including 493 males and 128 females – had been reported till October 31, 2017. “If despite the putting up of boards, people deliberately go to these areas, we will not hesitate to register attempt to suicide cases. After all, sitting in the small place of the pillar of the railway bridge near Perampalli by any standard is dangerous,” Dr. Patil said.

He said that the police was taking the help of structural engineers from the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) to inspect ‘black spots’ (places where road accidents take place) so that steps could be taken to reduce accidents. To a query, Dr. Patil said that one of the kingpins of ‘matka’ in Udupi district, Leo, was still absconding. Anyone providing information about him would be given a cash reward of Rs.10,000 by the police, he said.

A caller pointed out that the movement of heavy vehicles on Brahmavar-Jannady route was weakening the small bridges on it. Dr. Patil assured that a police team would be made to patrol the route. There were also a couple of calls regarding stoppage of bus services in rural areas. Dr. Patil promised to take up the matter with the Regional Transport Authority.

A total of 26 calls were received during the phone-in programme with complaints ranging from eve-teasing at Hejmady Bypass to harassment of shopkeepers in Kundapur by ‘mangalamukhis.’