Woman dies after allegedly consuming pesticide over internet disruption

A 52-year-old woman in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district died by suicide after allegedly becoming distressed by repeated internet disruptions while watching reels on her mobile phone, police said on Tuesday.

The woman, identified as Manglo Bai Sarathi of Kerakachhar village, allegedly consumed pesticide at her home on Saturday after her mobile network repeatedly failed, causing the videos she was watching to stop, according to police.

Her family told police that Sarathi frequently watched reels on her phone. Upset by the repeated connectivity problems, she allegedly threw the phone to the ground and damaged it before consuming pesticide kept at home.

Her 17-year-old daughter noticed her deteriorating condition and alerted other family members. Sarathi was initially taken to the Kartala Primary Health Centre and was later shifted to a medical college hospital in Korba after her condition became critical. She died during treatment on Monday.

Police said her body was handed over to the family and that further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death is underway.

with inputs from PTI