Earlier this month, just within a week two patients of Thane Mental Hospital committed suicide by hanging themselves. This has prompted the hospital administration to suspend four attendants and relieve two staff nurses from their duties pending an inquiry. The first incident occurred around 6:30 pm on September 11 when 33-year-old Sandeep Patil hanged himself from the window grille on the first floor with the help of some gauze rolls.

"The patient had killed his father 12 years ago and was initially kept at Nashik prison where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was brought to this hospital in 2010 and his condition improved after a couple of years. However, he became very upset over the fact that his family was not willing to take him back." said Dr Sanjay Bodade, medical superintendent of Thane Mental Hospital. Bodade added that on account of his mental illness, Patil was later acquitted but still his mother refused to accept him.