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Aniket Patil was 25 years old when he died by suicide. (Photo: Twitter)
A 25-year-old man in Mumbai, India died by suicide last month. In his suicide note, he claimed he was taunted at work.
Aniket Patil, a 25-year-old an engineer, took his own life on 27 June, according to the Mumbai Mirror.
Local police have registered a case of abetment of suicide against four people.
According to the police report, on 11 July authorities found a three-page suicide note revealing workplace harassment because of his sexuality.
‘There was a three-page note in which he narrated his ordeal’ the police report says.
‘He stated clearly that he was taunted and teased over his sexuality. His colleagues called him gay.’
Days before he took his own life, Patil told his mother he planned to quit his job.
Patil’s father, however, maintained his son was not gay, according to the Mumbai Mirror. He described him as a ‘simple and religious person’.
‘My son was tortured by his colleagues’ he said, according to the Mumbai Mirror. ‘He was fed up of the ugly comments.’
LGBTI Indians are at risk of suicide
Patil’s death is at least the third LGBTI suicide in India in the last month.
India last year decriminalized gay sex. But, most of Indian society does not accept LGBTI citizens.
A 19-year-old man in the Indian city of Chennai died by suicide last at the beginning of July.
The day before, Avinshu Patel, known as Avi, wrote a Facebook post detailing homophobic abuse he suffered.
‘Everyone knows I’m a boy, but the way I walk, think, feel, talk…it’s like a girl. People living in India don’t like this’ he wrote.
The Indian Supreme Court in September last year ruled the country’s anti-gay law was unconstitutional.
Section 377 of India’s colonial-era Penal Code punished gay sex with up to 10 years in prison. But, the Supreme Court said it violated rights to privacy.
Indians, therefore, celebrated the decriminalization of an estimated 4.5 million LGBTI people.
Despite last year’s landmark decriminalization, LGBTI people in India face discrimination in nearly all aspects of life.
They are often denied access to housing by the government and the private sector, forcing them to live segregated from society.
They face harassment from landlords, family members, neighbors, and even the police.
In the world of work, employers often discriminate against LGBTI employers during recruitment. LGBTI workers are often dismissed because of their sexuality or gender identity.
India currently does not protect LGBTI people with anti-discrimination legislation.
What’s more, the transgender population has slammed a government bill purported to protect their rights.
If you or someone you know needs mental health support, please click on this link of global resources.
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