KARACHI, Jan 1: As many as 143 persons committed suicide in Karachi during 2003 as compared to 142 in 2002. Most of the people who ended their lives were extremely dejected or were fed up with the living conditions owing to financial constraints, joblessness and poverty.

In a majority of the cases, either bread-winners committed suicide after being rendered jobless or housewives ended their lives owing to financial constraints and after their failure to meet their domestic requirements.

According to statistics compiled by this reporter, 32 people ended their lives after remaining jobless and 35 committed suicide owing to other domestic problems or arguments over home expenses or due to discord with their inlaws.

In a horrible incident in Korangi a few months back, a jobless man first burnt his four children and then set himself on fire at his home. Jamaluddin and his children had been facing starvation for the past several days, which might have been the cause of the incident, sources said.

In 42 case, the causes could not be known as police did not probe the apparent motives and closed the files in a haste. During the year, seven persons, who suffered from terminal illnesses or mental disorders, ended their lives while six committed suicide after betrayal by lovers.

Three drug addicts also committed suicide out of frustration. A comparison between 2003 and 2002 shows that 112 men and 31 women committed suicide as compared with 98 men and 44 women in 2002.

Two women under-trial prisoners ended their lives inside jail and police lockup in 2003. During the previous year, an under-trial prisoner, Yasmeen Faizi, 38, committed suicide in Karachi Central Prison by hanging herself from the an iron rod using a string in the washroom.

The inmate was charged with the killing of her parents. She was described as mentally ill. Similarly, a young woman Bilquis, 25, committed suicide inside the lockup of the women police station.

During the year, three doctors also committed suicide resorting to different methods i.e. consuming or injecting poison or by jumping from the building. Similarly, four policemen, including an official of the excise police, committed suicide during 2003.

Apart from the policemen, a significant number of private security guards also committed suicide. The month of April witnessed the highest number of suicides, as 25 suicides were reported during the month, followed by June in which 20 people ended their lives.

In January, 12 suicides took place, in February 9, in March 11, in May 10, in July 7, in August 16, in September 5, in October 10, in November 13 and in December 5.

The data shows the rate of suicides was highest among people in the age group of 20 and 29, as 53 people belonging to the group ended their lives.Similarly, 38 people in the age group of 30 to 39 committed suicide during the year.

As many as 34 teenagers resorted to this extreme step. Three elderly persons committed suicide either due to the financial constraints or domestic disputes. An elderly man above 70 also committed suicide.

The most frequent method used by the victims was hanging, as 64 people ended their life by hanging. Twenty-five persons consumed poison, 22 shot themselves dead, 16 resorted to self-immolation and 8 people jumped from the buildings.

Like previous years, the city police once again failed to collect information and data of the suicide cases in the year 2003. Police officials said: If a person commits suicide, it is not taken as a crime.

The police just carry out a legal formality under section 174 CrPC and hand the body over to the relatives of the deceased. They said that if a person is survived in a suicide attempt, a case is registered against him or her.