Mumbai:
Under pressure to withdraw rape charges against her ex-boyfriend who called off their wedding, a film editor from Delhi allegedly committed suicide at her rented residence at suburban Jogeshwari in Mumbai, police said today.
According to police, 22-year-old Pallavi Jha was found hanging from the ceiling. The police did not find any suicide note.
Her former boyfriend, against whom she had filed a rape case in Delhi last year, has been booked for abetting her suicide after the mother of the victim filed a complaint, police said.
During investigation, the police found that Miss Jha had come to Mumbai two years ago to pursue a career in film industry. She had been working as a film editor and had shared her room with another film editor from Delhi.
"Miss Jha, who was also an aspiring model, was in a relationship with one Shailendra Sharma from Delhi for about five years in the past. She was set to marry Mr Sharma but he called off the wedding as her family could not meet his dowry demand. Mr Sharma demanded Rs 35 lakh in cash as dowry," said Senior police inspector Naseer Pathan.
"Miss Jha had filed a rape case against Mr Sharma at a police station in Delhi last year alleging that he had maintained a sexual relationship with her on the pretext of marrying her. Later, Mr Sharma started threatening her to withdraw the rape charges against him, which had depressed her a lot," the officer said.
The accused would be arrested from Delhi soon, Mr Pathan added.