Depressed over financial burden due to outbreak of COVID-19 and lockdown, a singer from city attempted to commit suicide on Facebook Live by cutting his wrist with a blade on Saturday night. His friends immediately rushed to his home and took him to a hospital. Pravin Moon (35), a resident of Pardi, is a singer associated with various groups. For past some time, he was under stress. On Saturday, around 9 pm, he went live on his Facebook page. As per the video available, Moon got emotional and broke into tears while repeatedly saying that his financial condition was not good. He said that he was fed up of announcement of lockdown as it affected him.

 

“Government will be responsible for my death,” he said. He also addressed his friends and said that he had borrowed money from several people and they had been asking for repayment. While Moon was live-streaming the video from his home, his wife and daughter were nearby. As he announced to end life by cutting his wrist with a blade, his wife and daughter were heard trying to convince him against suicide. His daughter was crying and she held his hand to stop him, but he managed to free his hand and inflicted a cut injury on his hand. His daughter and wife immediately covered his cut with a cloth. While all this was happening, his friends who connected with him on-line posted messages asking him not to take the extreme step. Some asked him to keep patience. Some fellow artists immediately rushed to his home and took him to Bhavani Hospital in Pardi. He was under observation.

 

According to Pravin Moon’s friend Lucky Khan, a delegation of artists comprising both of them had met Dr Nitin Raut, Guardian Minister of district; Dayashankar Tiwari, Mayor; and Ravindra Thakare, District Collector, on Friday. The artists had sought relaxation in norms to help them perform and survive. However, Lucky Khan alleged, none of the authorities assured any help and hence Moon was deeply depressed. Moon’s suicide attempt shocked everyone in the music and stage fraternity in the city. He became the second artist from the city to have made attempted suicide. A few days ago, on March 5, another artist Yash Madankar from Manewada had tried to end life. Lucky Khan said that financial condition of the artists in the city was very bad as they are not getting work making it difficult for them to manage daily expenses, house rent, etc. He urged the Government to extend a helping hand.