Man jumps to death after mistaking census staff as loan recovery team

A man committed suicide by jumping from the rooftop of his three-storey house near Do Minute Chowrangi in New Karachi on Wednesday after mistaking census officials as a loan recovery team.

Kaleem Hussain, 32, son of Shah Mir Hussain, runs several small businesses and is facing losses in all of them.

“The main business of Kaleem is transport, which he runs on a partnership basis,” said Bilal Colony SHO Mohsin Zaidi.

The man used to borrow small amounts for his businesses and would repay the loans in installments. His family said he failed to pay installments because the increasing losses.

“On Wednesday, a borrower arrived at his house and demanded payment of installments, but Kaleem failed to meet his demand as he had no money to pay,” the SHO said. “When Kaleem apologised for non-payment, the borrower insulted him and warned him that he would return with law enforcers to retrieve his money.”

When a census team arrived in the area, Kaleem assumed that the borrower had brought law enforcers with him. “Kaleem went to the rooftop of his house and committed suicide by jumping to the ground,” SHO Zaidi said.

Kaleem sustained serious injuries and he died during treatment at hospital.  Besides financial losses, Kaleem had been facing domestic issues, the police officer said, adding that Kaleem had two wives and had divorced one of them after a prolonged dispute.  Later, the police handed over his body to the heirs for burial.

Man held for filming census team

The Gulberg SP said a man was arrested for recording a video of the census team on a visit to the area.

SP Basheer Brohi said they were informed of the suspicious man by some  residents. The census staff were performing their duties within the jurisdiction of the Taimuria police station. “After receiving this information, policemen were rushed to the spot where they arrested Danish Jameel alias Jalil Ahmed,” he added.