Tragic Joint Suicide of Two Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation Employees
In a deeply distressing incident that has shocked the local community, two young female employees of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation took their own lives together on Friday evening. The women, identified as Sejal Patel, aged 26, and Ripal Rawat, aged 24, reportedly jumped into the Narmada Canal near Nabhoi in Gandhinagar around 8 PM.
Final Heartbreaking Calls to Families
According to police reports, both women made separate phone calls to their parents just before the tragic event. Their last words were chillingly similar: "I am committing suicide with my friend." The families, upon receiving these devastating calls, immediately rushed to the canal area but arrived too late to prevent the tragedy.
Swift Police Response and Recovery Operation
Investigating Officer L D Odedara of Adalaj police station confirmed that the women switched off their mobile phones shortly after making those fateful calls. When family members reached the canal bank, they found only the women's personal bags left behind as silent witnesses to the tragedy.
The Adalaj and Gandhinagar police were promptly informed and reached the scene. The Gandhinagar fire brigade launched an extensive search operation, but the strong canal current had already carried the bodies approximately an hour downstream. The victims were eventually recovered from the Zundal canal stretch. Notably, their mobile phones have not been located despite search efforts.
Background of the Deceased Women
Sejal Patel resided in Naroda while Ripal Rawat lived in Thaltej. Both women had been friends since their college days and had been working as colleagues at the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation for the past five months. They worked in separate departments within the civic body—one in property tax and the other in administration.
Police Investigation Underway
Officer Odedara stated that investigators are examining all possible motives behind this joint suicide. "We are yet to speak to the family and hence cannot say what drove the two to suicide," he explained. "The two, according to reports, were close friends since college days. We did not find any suicide note at the scene."
Police authorities are considering multiple possibilities including:
- Potential work-related pressure at their municipal jobs
- Family pressure or personal issues
- Emotional connections or relationship factors
- Other undisclosed personal circumstances
The investigating officer added that formal questioning of the families will commence once the last rites have been completed, respecting the grieving period of the bereaved families.
Community Impact and Ongoing Investigation
This tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation and the wider community. The absence of a suicide note has made the investigation particularly challenging, requiring police to piece together information from various sources. Authorities continue to gather evidence and await the opportunity to interview family members to better understand what might have driven these two young professionals to take such an extreme step together.
