19-year-old law student ends life on solo trip to Lonavala

A 19‑year‑old law student from Navi Mumbai allegedly ended her life during a solo trip to Maharashtra’s Lonavala hill station , police said on Wednesday, in a tragic incident that underscores a worrying trend of rising suicides among young people in the country.

Shriya Pati , a resident of Navi Mumbai and a student at a private law college in Kalyan , left home on January 30 , telling her parents she planned a day trip and would return by evening. She first visited a popular viewpoint at Dukes Nose before going to Tiger Point , another well‑known tourist spot, from where she allegedly jumped into a deep gorge .

A local tea stall owner found her bag and ID card near his stall and alerted her family, who then informed the police. With the help of local rescue teams and drones , her body was located about 300 feet down the gorge and recovered on January 31. The body was sent to a government hospital for post‑mortem.

Officials said preliminary findings indicate a case of suicide , but the exact cause will be determined after examining her mobile phone and laptop recovered from the site. The Lonavala rural police have registered an accidental death case and are continuing their investigation.

A senior police official said investigators are meticulously piecing together details from Shriya’s digital devices and interactions with relatives to understand her state of mind before the trip, noting that there was no immediate evidence of foul play . They stressed that until the data from her devices are analysed, the reasons behind the incident remain unclear.

The tragic death comes against a backdrop of persistently high suicide figures in India . According to the National Crime Records Bureau’s 2023 report , India recorded 1,71,418 suicide deaths last year, with Maharashtra reporting one of the highest numbers. Young people, particularly those aged 18 to 30 , have been identified as a vulnerable group. Data show around 13,892 students died by suicide in 2023, the highest in a decade, accounting for about 8.1% of all suicide deaths in the country.

Experts have highlighted that factors such as academic pressure, family expectations, mental health challenges, and social stressors contribute to the rising trend among youth. Family problems, relationship difficulties, and failures in examinations or career expectations are repeatedly cited in suicide reports and analyses.

Mental health professionals and policymakers have repeatedly urged stronger support systems for young adults, stressing the need for accessible counselling services, supportive family environments, and destigmatisation of mental health struggles. The rising toll among students and young adults is seen not just as a statistical concern but as a social challenge requiring community, educational, and health interventions.