‘Waved at his friends, blew kisses’: 22-year-old’s livestreams last moments before dying by suicide

NEW DELHI: A 22-year-old man died by suicide in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district after streaming his final moments on Instagram, police said on Saturday. The incident, which unfolded late on Friday night, has raised concern over the role of social media in such tragedies, with a 14-minute video of the act later circulating online.

According to officials, the incident occurred under the Dehat police station limits. Station house officer Vikas Yadav said the man, identified as Manoj Rajak, went live on Instagram shortly before taking the extreme step. “He waved at his friends during the live chat and blew kisses before hanging himself from a noose tied to a ceiling fan,” Yadav told PTI.

Rajak, who worked as a plumber, also sold ready-made garments from his rented room. He had been living alone after his father remarried, following the death of his mother. Friends and acquaintances described him as quiet and well-mannered.

One of his friends, Shubham Rajak, said they immediately rushed to his room after noticing the distressing visuals on Instagram around 10.30 pm. However, by the time they reached, he had already died.

Police said no suicide note was found at the scene. The body was sent for post-mortem and later handed over to the family. Officials have seized Rajak’s mobile phone and are examining his social media activity as part of the investigation.