A 45-year-old man was found hanging from a billboard along Subernarekha river in Ulidih thana area of Mango on Tuesday morning.
Local residents, who were on their way to bathe in the river, first spotted the body hanging from a Swachh Bharat Abhiyan hoarding around 6am.
Police retrieved the body an hour later and it was identified as that of Ganesh Singh Sardar, a resident of Sankosai in Mango and a mason by profession. Wife Gurubari said Ganesh left home on Monday night and never came back.
The body was sent to MGM Medical College in Dimna for post-mortem.
Ulidih thana OC Rajesh Paswan said the couple lived in a rented house in Sankosai. "This is a case of suicide. The deceased had been suffering from stomach ulcer for a long time and had lost the will to live," the officer said.
Gurubari told this newspaper that Ganesh's chronic ailment was accompanied by acute pain for over a year. "My husband was barely able to sleep. He often expressed his death wish. On Monday, we had visited a doctor in Mango who diagnosed an ulcer that needed a major operation. Perhaps the idea of a prolonged medical procedure was the last straw," the bereaved woman said.
Gurubari stressed that money was not a problem for them as they had property in their native place, Seraikela, which they could have sold for the operation. "But, he perhaps couldn't bear the pain any longer. Around 10pm on Monday, he went out on the pretext of attending nature's call, but did not return," she broke down.
Death wish spurred by medical reasons seems to have developed into a trend in Jamshedpur of late. At least four persons, including two women, have committed suicide following prolonged illness in the past month.
Devi Prasad (30), who had spinal cord issues, had hung himself at home in Sonari on February 2.
Migraine victim Vimla Mukhi (60) had jumped before a running train on Jugsalai-Tatanagar railway section on January 26.
D.P. Chowdhury (70), who had severe arthritis, had jumped to his death from the roof of a four-storey building at Uliyan in Kadma on January 24.
A 26-year-old woman, suffering from acute kidney issues, had chosen the noose over life at her home in Bhatia Bustee, Kadma, on January 16.
