Varanasi: A couple jumped into the Ganga river in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday. The girl was identified as a ninth-grade student, while the boy was a cattle herder. The two had reportedly tied their hands together with a chunari (scarf).

According to eyewitnesses, the couple jumped off the pontoon bridge near the Ganga Barrage. People nearby tried to save them but were unsuccessful.

The police and divers were informed about the incident, and a search operation was launched. Their bodies were later recovered from the river.

The reason behind the couple’s decision to end their lives is yet to be ascertained. However, it is being speculated that the two were in love and faced opposition from their families.

The incident has raised questions about the growing number of suicides being reported in Uttar Pradesh. A recent report by the National Crime Records Bureau stated that the state has the highest number of suicides in the country. The report revealed that over 22,000 people died by suicide in the state in 2020.

The government and various non-governmental organizations have been urged to take appropriate measures to tackle the issue of suicides in the state.