Quick-thinking UP cops save student from suicide bid in 16 min after Meta alert

A 20-year-old student in Uttar Pradesh was rescued from a suicide attempt after police swiftly responded to a Meta flash. The alert was triggered by her Instagram post showing pesticide tablets with a despairing caption, and within 16 minutes, officers intervened to save her life.

Since January 2023, 1,315 people have been saved in Uttar Pradesh – cops said the rescue was part of a bigger drive – based on alerts about suicide-related posts on Facebook and Instagram.

The incident came to light on August 31 when Meta sent an alert to the UP police's social media centre. The alert contained an Instagram post by a college student that showed a packet of pesticide, captioned with a suicidal message.

The alert was immediately escalated to senior officers, and Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Krishna instructed swift action, a statement said.

Using the mobile number shared by Meta, the Bareilly police traced the student's location and rushed a team to her residence in the CB Ganj Police Station area.

The spokesperson said when they reached the girl's location, she was found vomiting.“Within 16 minutes of receiving the alert, Sub-Inspector and women police personnel reached the student's home, where she was found vomiting and in a distressed state,” the spokesperson said.

The woman was given first aid, and when her condition improved, she told police that she had befriended a man on Instagram and was in a relationship with him. After a fight, the man blocked her number, which sent her into depression.

The student told police that the pesticide she consumed had been purchased by her father for wheat cultivation.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has had a system in place with Meta since 2022 to receive alerts on suicide-related posts made on Facebook and Instagram.

"From January 1, 2023, to August 25, 2025, police acted on such alerts and saved 1,315 lives," the statement said.

(With agency inputs)