Lovers first to be blamed for suicides of models, actresses

The Mumbai police's track record in charging boyfriends or spouses for the suicide of young models and actresses is not very inspiring. It appears that gathering evidence to prove there was indeed abetment to suicide is almost impossible.

Here's a list of such cases:

Viveka Babajee 

Case: In June 2010, 37-year-old model and actress, Viveka Babajee, was found hanging in her Bandra residence. Police reports stated that Babajee committed suicide due to depression. Unconfirmed reports stated that she became depressed after separating from her stockbroker boyfriend, Gautam Vora. The last page of her diary, which was found next to her dead body, had a message written, "You killed me, Gautam Vora."

Status: Following her death, Vora submitted an anticipatory bail application which was granted by Mumbai court. According to sources, she was depressed even before she came in contact with Vora and had failed relationships in the past as well. According to the police, although Vora was questioned several times, there was not enough evidence to press abetment charges against him. A mere suicide note was not enough to press abetment charges, said the police. 

Nafisa Joseph 

Case: Joseph was an Indian model and an MTV video jockey. She committed suicide by hanging herself in her Juhu flat located on June 29, 2004, after her relationship with her fiancee, businessman Gautam Khanduja, went sour. The couple was soon to be married, but the marriage was called off reportedly as the model discovered that Khanduja, who had told her that he had been divorced for two years, was still married. Joseph's parents had filed a police complaint against Khanduja, following which he was arrested under section 306 (abetment of suicide)

Status: In November 2005, the trial against Khanduja was stayed by the Bombay high court until January 2006. Khanduja claimed there was no evidence to prove that breaking off the engagement had led to Joseph's suicide. 

Geetanjali Nischol

Case: She was actor Navin Nischol's second wife. She committed suicide by hanging herself in her Mahim flat in April 2006. Geetanjali had purportedly left behind a suicide note in which she had blamed her husband, who was allegedly an alcoholic, for taking the drastic step. She further said in her suicide note that Nischol used to harass her and his drinking habits had led to financial problems. 

Status: Nischol was acquitted by session court in June 2009. 

Sucheta Anand 

Case: In June 2008, airhostess Sucheta Anand was found hanging in a hotel in Juhu. An Indigo Airlines co-pilot, Arjun Menon, who was also her boyfriend, was arrested by the Santa Cruz police in connection with her death. A day before Sucheta committed suicide, she and Menon met for dinner and reportedly had an argument over marriage. This upset Sucheta, who was already going through a bad relationship with her husband, and she decided to end her life. After questioning him, Menon was arrested on charges of abetment.

Status: He was discharged by sessions court in May 2009.

Rinky Chowdhary 

Case: Rinky Chowdhary (Priyanshi Chowdhury), a small-time actress, committed suicide a week before her marriage in her Goregaon residence in October 2010. She was found hanging in the kitchen in her residence. The police had later arrested her boyfriend Sahil Malik and booked him under section 302 (murder) based on circumstantial evidence and the statement of the Rinky's mother who said she was killed and had not committed suicide. Sahil was present in the house when Rinky had allegedly committed suicide.

Status: Sahil was booked under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Cpde, but was later released on bail as there were no corroborative evidence to prove that he had killed Rinky. 

Legal Eagle

Ishwar Prasad Bagaria, an advocate, said in cases of abetment of suicide, the law is not weak, but that it is important to have corroborative evidence to prove that the person was instigated and pushed to end his/her life.

"A suicide note or relatives of the deceased blaming somebody for the death cannot be taken as evidence. There should be medical and physical material to prove that the person was being compelled to take the extreme step. If it was a one-sided love affair or the person refuses to marry, it cannot be connected to abetment. Court examines the materials collected and does a fact-to-fact analysis and takes decisions accordingly," Bagaria said.