London labour aids Police Inspector’s life-saving act

Shailini Sharma (45) attached to Chembur police station saved Priyanka Jethalal Maru (32) from committing suicide at Wadala on Friday. Maru had enrolled for a training programe in London-based Hostage Negotiation and Crisis Management Training in 2008 at London and a training of two weeks organised by Mumbai police in 2010 in association with the Scotland Yard police. Excerpts:

■Did you have prior experience to achieve this successful breakthrough that helped you thwart Maru’s suicide bid?

I had an experience of a breakthrough before. In a similar sensitive situation in 2012, a 17 -year-old teenager who wanted to commit suicide stood on the ledge of a building at Kherwadi. She was going through tough adolscence period and issues with her parents. I had to counsel her and to convince her for over an hour dissuading from taking her own life. That was the first case I handled after my training.

■Why was Maru wanting to commit suicide, was it her marriage prospects?

I was on the way to court, when I received a phone call to come immediately to deal with the situation. We need to understand that a person on suicide bid has more than one reason for doing so. There are several triggers like repeated failures in their lives setting off severe emotions. In this incident, I do not think that marriage prospects was the trigger. My job was to save her, the cause need not be made public.

■How did you convince and dissuade her from taking the ultimate step?

During my training, I learnt that I cannot lie to the person I am trying to counsel as it breaks their trust and can jeopardise the situation. I told her I needed to know her precise demand at that time. She felt that may be other policemen were waiting outside for her who could get her in trouble. The lady asked me to leave her alone for 15 minutes saying she wanted to take a picture of the building. I explained to her that I had the right to be present at the spot as her counsellor and I would not leave.

■Did you at any time feel that she would jump off the building while counselling ?

In the first one hour, it was difficult and the scenario was that she could have jumped off the building. She told me that it was her hobby to take photographs. I insisted on seeing the photographs and realised that was not the case. Her mind was confused. In the first one hour, she was simply refusing to listen to me which is normal in such sensitive cases. I had to gain her trust and speak to her like a counsellor and a friend. After which she came around.