Suicide Attempt Disrupts Kolkata Metro, Stranding Pandal-Hoppers

On Friday, September 26th, 2025, Kolkata's commuters faced a transportation nightmare as the city's Blue Line Metro service was disrupted for over an hour due to a suicide attempt. Around 12:54 pm, a 26-year-old man named Harshit Agarwal jumped in front of a Dakshineswar-bound train at the Jatin Das Metro station, causing the power supply to be cut off and services to be suspended between Maidan and Dakshineswar in the north and Tollygunge and Shahid Khudiram in the south.

The disruption inconvenienced not only office commuters but also pandal-hoppers trying to make the most of the transitory sunny spell. The ripple effect continued well beyond the resumption of normal Metro operations at 2:05 pm, with commuters reporting having to wait for over an hour for a train.

The Metro service disruption was compounded by a shortage of buses, with only 50% of the current number running on the roads. This forced many to resort to app-based cabs and bikes, despite the surge charges. Autos, which are prohibited from plying in the evenings during the Puja days, hiked their fares by Rs 5-Rs 15 during the day, claiming they needed to recover their "evening losses." Some drivers even resorted to running illegal routes, charging exorbitant fares from tired pandal-hoppers.

The transportation woes in Kolkata on this day were a stark reminder of the challenges faced by commuters during the festive season, as the city's infrastructure struggles to keep up with the increased demand.