23-year-old IT Engineer in Kerala dies by suicide amid work stress

A 23-year-old IT engineer tragically took his own life by jumping from the eighth floor of his apartment in Kottayam district, Kerala, on Sunday.

According to media reports, Jacob Thomas C., employed at a private company in Ernakulam, had been living with his parents in a flat at Muttambalam, near Kanjikuzhy in Kottayam.

Police believe Jacob died by suicide sometime between midnight and early morning. The report filed by Kottayam East Police indicates Jacob had been experiencing severe work-related stress. He worked at a Kakkanad-based IT firm specialising in cloud-based learning management systems.

Jacob had confided in his parents about the mental distress he was facing at work, citing overwhelming pressure and harassment. Prior to his death, he reportedly sent a video message to his mother, expressing his inability to cope with the stress. In the video, he shared that he could no longer bear the pressure from his job.

When his parents woke up, they found Jacob’s lifeless body after he had fallen from the building. Police are examining his phone to verify the video message and are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. No suicide note was found.

Relatives confirmed that Jacob had been working late into the night, struggling with excessive work pressure that had severely affected his sleep and well-being. He had started his job as a software engineer four months ago after completing his B-Tech at Saintgits College of Engineering, Kottayam.

Jacob’s family has reportedly filed a complaint with the police, urging a thorough investigation into his death. Kottayam East Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. The body was transferred to the Kottayam District General Hospital morgue, and the police have registered a case for unnatural death.

According to local media reports, Jacob’s funeral will take place at St. James CSI Church in Punnavely at 11 am on Monday. His family, who moved to the apartment at Muttambalam five months ago, is devastated by the loss. His father works at a cement manufacturing company.