A young man was found hanging at his Birsanagar zone 4 home on Sunday morning, the police calling it suicide with a strong possibility that it was prompted by his not getting a job at Tata Motors recently, a worrying indication of dwindling job prospects in the steel city.

Called “sober and sentimental” by friends, Anuj Kumar Singh, 29, had done a course from the local ITI (Industrial Training Institute) and applied for a job at Tata Motors, but four days ago had come to know he did not get it, his cousin Anjani Singh told The Telegraph.

“Since then, he had become completely dejected. He was worried about his widowed mother and had really banked on getting this job,” the cousin said.

Anjani added: “Last night (Saturday) Anuj had dinner and then bolted the door of his room from inside. Around 9am today (Sunday), the door was broken by the police and his body was found hanging from a rod on the ventilator of his room. He must have been dead for some time.”

Anuj’s mother Damayanti Devi had knocked on the door from 7am onwards, but initially assumed her son was in deep slumber. Only after an hour or so did she become worried enough to draw the attention of other members of the family. “Everyone banged on the door but there was no response. Finally, we called the police,” Anjani said.

Anuj Kumar Singh Picture by Animesh Sengupta

His friend Suman Kumar Sinha said Anuj was very sentimental. “Anuj really wanted to get the job at Tata Motors or any other big company in Jamshedpur as he felt responsible for his mother’s welfare. He was 29 and he felt the pressure (of joblessness. When he did not get this job, he sunk into depression and stopped talking to friends,” Suman said.

Birsanagar OC Bhushan Kumar said Anuj’s late father Dwarika Singh had retired from Tata Steel. “Though the deceased had left no suicide note, from the statements made by his mother and others, it can be assumed that he committed suicide as he was depressed about not getting the job,” the OC said.

More suicides

The owner of a general store Amit Kumar Sharma, 35, was found hanging at his Post Office Road home in Mango around 4am on Sunday by his wife and other relatives.

Mango OC Arun Kumar Mehta said Sharma had been tense over family disputes that had escalated in recent days, but did not specify what they were. “Family members have not revealed the reasons behind the dispute,” the OC said.

In another case, Manjuli Singh, 30, a mother of two, was found hanging at her house in Parsudih on Sunday. The police said the woman committed suicide after a quarrel with her husband Amit Kumar Singh this morning. Amit had gone to the market with the two children. He returned to see her dead.