In an extremely distressing turn of events, Shiladitya Chetia, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer serving as the Secretary of Home and Political Department in the Assam government, died by suicide on Tuesday shortly after his wife Agamonee Barbaruah succumbed to cancer. According to state police officials and hospital authorities, the 44-year-old Chetia, who belonged to the 2009 IPS batch, had been on leave for four months to care for his ailing wife as she underwent treatment at Nemcare Hospital in Guwahati. Mere minutes after doctors declared Barbaruah dead following her lengthy battle with the disease, the distraught officer took his own life with his service weapon. “It is an unfortunate and tragic incident that has left us numb. Shiladitya Chetia was a brilliant officer with a promising career,” said Assam DGP GP Singh, expressing grief over the couple’s deaths. “The entire police family is devastated.”
While cancer treatment has made enormous strides, the disease remains one of the world’s leading causes of death and immense suffering. Beyond just physical effects, it devastates families and caregivers psychologically and emotionally as they grapple with intense stress, grief, and trauma.
The shocking episode comes during Men’s Mental Health Month and underscores the tremendous emotional toll that cancer inflicts on patients and their loved ones alike. In such extreme situations, access to mental health support and counseling is absolutely vital – both for patients and their caregivers. Warning signs of psychological distress like severe depression, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts must be taken extremely seriously and immediately addressed.
As Assam and the nation mourns this tragic loss, we must acknowledge that more work remains to improve cancer treatment, but just as importantly, to prioritize mental health care and remove stigmas around psychological struggles. Greater awareness, expanded support services, and continued research could save many lives.
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