Lucknow: A 20-year-old student from Shahjahanpur district was rescued within seven minutes after Uttar Pradesh Police received an alert from Meta and traced his location, averting a suicide attempt linked to emotional distress following a breakup.Uttar Pradesh Police Headquarters said the student, a resident of the Banda police station area, posted a video on Instagram late on July 29 that showed him consuming pesticide. Police said he had been depressed after ending a relationship with his girlfriend.Around 11:30 pm, Meta’s Suicide Prevention System sent an emergency alert by email to Social Media Centre at the office of Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, flagging the suicidal content. DGP Rajeev Krishna directed officials to initiate immediate intervention.Using the mobile number shared in the alert, Social Media Centre traced the student’s location and informed Shahjahanpur Police. Sub-inspector Amarkant Singh and constables Vishal and Deepu Sharma from Banda police station reached the student’s residence within seven minutes.Police informed the family about the Instagram post and found the student in distress. An empty pesticide bottle and traces of the chemical were found near him as he attempted to vomit after ingesting the poison. The police, with assistance from family members, took him to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. After stabilising, he was discharged.During counselling, the student told police he was an intermediate student and had been under severe stress since the breakup. Police said he assured officers he would not repeat the attempt, while his family thanked the force for swift action.Uttar Pradesh Police said its coordination mechanism with Meta has been in place since 2022, with real-time alerts enabling rapid intervention. Between Jan 1, 2023, and July 15, 2026, police said such alerts helped save 3,420 lives.
