27-yr-old techie commits suicide by opening carbon monoxide cylinder

A 27-year-old engineer, working with an IT-es firm in Vashi, committed suicide by inhaling carbon monoxide at his CBD-Belapur residence on Saturday night. One of his colleagues, who also stayed in the same rented apartment, suffered severe injuries due to partial inhalation of the gas and is now recuperating in the ICU.

According to the police, the deceased, Vinit Sharma, a native of Himachal Pradesh, bought a small cylinder of carbon monoxide and kept it inside the room on Saturday. Two of his colleagues -- Kulanand Rupani, 29, and Shravana Kumar, 27-- were also staying in the rented apartment in Belapur, Sector 11.

Sharma was continously made to work on night shifts and this is reported to be the reason behind the suicide. "After having dinner around 10.30 pm, Sharma removed the cork of the cylinder and kept it under his bed in the hall. He lost his consciousness after sometime. Rupani, who was sleeping in another room, also inhaled the toxic gas and developed some complications," said Vishnu Redekar, senior police inspector of NRI police station.

The other room mate, Kumar, was in the habit of sleeping with his face covered with a blanket. When he heard about the complications developed by Rupani, he switched on the light and found Sharma lying unconscious on his bed. "Both Sharma and Rupani were rushed to the MGM hospital at Belapur. Sharma was declared brought dead on arrival. Rupani is now in the ICU and is reportedly stable," Redekar said.

"Kumar had spotted the toxic cylinder with Sharma in the evening. When he asked about it, Sharma replied that he had got it from one of his friends and he would come and collect it," said HD Ahirrao, police sub inspector from NRI police station.

"We have recovered the opener of the cylinder from the hall. However, we have not found any suicide note anywhere in the house. Sharma's body was sent to NMMC hospital in Vashi for post-mortem. We are now waiting for the post-mortem report," he said.

"In their statements, Rupani and Kumar have said that Sharma never showed any sign of depression. He never shared any of his personal problems with him," another police officer said. The police have registered a case of accidental death.

However, the police said Sharma's friends told them he was continously made to work on night shifts and this could be the reason.