Caught smoking, two teens jump off bridge, one survives

VASHI: A day after a teen was rescued from Vashi creek and a body fished out from the creek, the police learnt that the two were friends and decided to commit suicide after they were caught smoking and blackmailed.

While one minor was rescued, the body of the other was found in the waters. Rajaram Joshi, a fisherman, helped the police rescue the 16-year-old boy from Wadala, around 4.30am on Friday.

The boy told the police that he had jumped from the bridge around 10pm on Thursday night. He claimed that his father had not given him money to celebrate his birthday and so he had decided to commit suicide. The boy’s father, a tailor, was called and he took him home.

A little later, a body of a 17-yearold was fished out from the creek. After the body was identified, the police realised that the two cases were related. The father of the deceased is an NMMC employee.

Police inspector (crime) Suraj Tadvi of Vashi police station, “We learnt that both boys were from Wadala and went to the same tuition class. They had just given their Class 10 exam. The boy who was rescued said the duo had jumped together from the bridge.”

Tadvi said, “The two had gone to a place in Wadala with their girlfriends. They were caught smoking by a man, who threatened to call the police and inform their parents. Then, he demanded money from them. The boys called up a friend for money but he couldn’t help them. The man took away their mobile phones.”

The girls left and the boys were scared as they had earlier been caught smoking by their teacher and had been thrashed by their parents.

Tadvi said, “The boys decided to commit suicide. They came to Vashi railway station by train and walked to the creek bridge and jumped. Since the survivor knew a bit of swimming and fell in the area with letter water and in the sludge, he had survived. His friend didn’t.”

The police said they have informed the Wadala police and investigations are on to identify the man who blackmailed the boys. The police said the man has deposited the mobile phones with the Wadala police.