Vodafone vice-president was stressed, says family

Vodafone vice-president Chandra Murli Iyer, 48, who was found hanging at his flat in Santa Cruz on Friday, had called up his family half an hour before he committed suicide.

His family suspects he was put under too much pressure by someone to have taken the drastic step.

“During a telephonic conversation with his wife, Iyer said he was not keeping well and felt very low,” said senior police inspector M Chowdharie of Santa Cruz police station. Iyer also told her that he was trying to go home (Delhi) that evening.

“Considering the allegations made by Iyer’s family, we are checking his telephonic records,” said another police officer.

The police have not given a clean chit to 35-year-old Ankita Rastogi, Iyer’s former colleague and friend, who was reportedly the first person to have seen him hanging. She was with Iyer till 10pm the night before the suicide, officials added.

Iyer was working with Vodafone since 2005 and had been transferred to Mumbai about a year ago from Delhi. Rastogi had joined Aircel a few months ago and stayed back in Delhi. She met Iyer every time she came to Mumbai for work.

According to sources, Rastogi came to Mumbai four days ago, and on October 21, visited Iyer at his residence in the evening. She was unwell and was taken to a doctor by Iyer and his acquaintance, Amit.

After the three returned from the doctor’s clinic, Amit and Rastogi left Iyer’s residence. Rastogi was aware of Iyer’s ill-health and visited him again the next day to enquire about it, only to find him hanging by a turban cloth.