Pan masala magnate’s daughter-in-law dies by suicide in Delhi

Police said the husband, after returning home, found his wife hanging from the ceiling in the dressing room within their bedroom and rushed her to the hospital.

A 38-year-old woman, the daughter-in-law of the owner of a pan masala brand, allegedly died by suicide at her home in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Vihar on Tuesday, police said, adding that she was found by her husband hanging inside her bedroom.

Police said a diary was recovered from the room that mentioned “relationship issues”, and officers are investigating the entries. (Representational/HT Photo)

Police said a diary was recovered from the room that mentioned “relationship issues”, and officers are investigating the entries.

According to police, a call was made from the residence around noon, reporting the suicide. The woman – the daughter-in-law of the owner of Kamla Pasand Pan Masala – lived with her husband and two childrenat the Vasant Vihar residence. Police said her husband left home in the morning for the gym and to carry out errands, and the children later went to school, leaving her alone in the house.

“When the husband returned, he found his wife hanging from the ceiling in the dressing room within their bedroom. He, along with domestic staff, rushed her to the hospital. In a diary entry, she mentioned issues in her relationship. No names were written in the entry, and she did not blame anyone,” said a senior police officer aware of the investigation who asked not to be identified.

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Amit Goel said the woman was declared brought dead at the hospital. “The body was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital mortuary. A crime team inspected the spot and statements of all family members were recorded. An autopsy was conducted by a board of doctors and the body has been handed over to the family,” he said.

He added that the couple married in 2010 and the deceased was a homemaker.

Legal proceedings under section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which deals with inquiries into unnatural or suspicious deaths, have been initiated. No FIR has been registered so far.

However, the woman’s brother alleged that she was being “harassed” and “tortured” by her husband and in-laws.

“Her husband used to harass her. We recently learned that he had illegally married someone else. We brought our sister back to Kolkata, but her in-laws came to take her home. They promised to take care of her, but they tortured her. We have been facing these issues since last year. She returned only because they said they would fix things, but her husband and mother-in-law continued to torture her,” the woman’s brother alleged.

Meanwhile, the businessman’s family lawyer, Rajender Singh, denied the allegations. “These claims are absolutely baseless and false. Her mother has been with us since yesterday. Both families are grieving, and everyone wants her to be cremated with dignity. There is no note or complaint against anyone,” he said.