Coronavirus: Facing 'social boycott', man hangs self to death in Himachal's Una

A 37-year-old man hanged self to death in Himachal Pradesh's Una district on Sunday morning after allegedly facing "social boycott" by some villagers, who suspected him to be suffering from COVID-19 despite testing negative for it.

Mohammad Dilshad committed suicide under a shed at his residence in Una's Bangarh village, a day after health officials dropped him at his village following his negative report, an official said.

He was taken to a quarantine facility a few days ago where he tested negative for the disease.

Una Sadar SHO Darshan Singh said Dilshad was one of the contacts of a Tablighi Jamaat member who had returned from New Delhi's Nizamuddin.

Commenting on it, DGP Sita Ram Mardi said, "Some villagers pointed out that this man was a suspected COVID-19 patient. He was quarantined and tested negative for the infection. When he returned to his village, he was discriminated against and socially boycotted by villagers. At this, he committed suicide."