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Indian community alarmed after second suicide in less than 10 days
A 51-year old Indian expat living in the UAE, Premchand A, was found hanging from a signage board at a building in Al Ain’s new industrial area, sending shockwaves through the community.

Close friends and family believe the man committed suicide, though an official police statement is awaited.

This suicide comes less than a week after a high-profile Indian social worker, V Sugathan, was found hanging at construction site in Masafi, Fujairah. The police in this case confirmed the death as a suicide.

What’s worse is that financial difficulties are being cited as the driving factor behind both suicides.

Premchand had been working in a contracting company for the last twelve years.

According to Indian social workers in Al Ain, he went to sleep at 11pm but when his roommates got up in the morning Premchand was missing from his bed.

The friends raised the alarm, began a search and found him hanging from a signage board on the same building.

His body was then shifted to a hospital in Al Ain.

Speaking to this website, a person close to Premchand said: “He was planning to go home.

“He ran in to some trouble with his earlier company which was incurring heavy losses.

“Several workers were not paid their salary.

“The new sponsor of the company advised him to cancel his visa and go to India.”

The social worker from Al Ain who is working on the case said the reason for his suicide is not known, but financial difficulties is suspected.

“The new sponsor of the company told them that their visa would be cancelled on Tuesday and Premchand was found dead the same day,” the social worker said.

Premchand is survived by wife Indu and two children in high school and college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Another friend says Premchand was in a happy mood a few days before the alleged suicide and had shopped and packed for travel back home.

According to the Indian Consulate, in 2012 alone, 27 Indians have committed suicide here in the UAE.

According to the consulate, 210 Indians committed suicide in 2011 and the growing number of suicides is attributed to financial stress, depression and failure in personal relationships.

Meanwhile, Indian social worker, V Sugathan, was cremated at the Jebel Ali crematorium.

The social organisation he was working for - Sevanam –is to start a new campaign against suicide, alcoholism and the extravagant lifestyle of people that drags them into debt.