45-year-old car driver commits suicide due to harassment by neighbors and false police complaints in Malunda

Mumbai: A 45-year-old auto-rickshaw driver, Deepak Pihal, committed suicide on Saturday night in Mulund after facing constant harassment and false complaints from his neighbour. Mulund police registered a case of abetment to suicide against neighbor Vijay Jethwa (40) based on a complaint filed by Pihal’s son, Vinay Pihal.

Deepak Pihal, a resident of Ramdev Nagar in Mulund Colony, lived with his family and worked as a rickshaw driver. His troubles began when his neighbor Vijay Jethwa built a staircase at the spot where Pihal used to park his rickshaw. Although the stairs were built with the consent of local residents, the Pihal family leveled the area to restore access. This led to the escalation of disputes between the two families.

Yetwa allegedly threatened the Pihal family and started harassing them. He is also accused of filing false police complaints, creating further stress for Deepak Pihal, who eventually stopped parking his rickshaw at the disputed spot. Unable to withstand constant arguments and stress, Deepak Pihal hanged himself on the night of Saturday, December 14, from the chimney of the roof of his house. Although his family rushed him to the nearest hospital, doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

After the incident, Vinay Pihal, son of the deceased, filed a complaint against Jethwa at the Mulund police station. The law enforcement officers have opened criminal proceedings on the fact of tending to suicide and are conducting an investigation.