Noida woman’s suicide: Family alleges sexual harassment

Noida: The family of a 20-year-old woman, who died after falling from the Sector 137 high-rise on the August 21 evening, has alleged that she was sexually harassed by her employer, officials said on Sunday

Noida: The family of a 20-year-old woman, who died after falling from the Sector 137 high-rise on the August 21 evening, has alleged that she was sexually harassed by her employer, officials said on Sunday.

Police said on Sunday that prima facie, it is suspected to be a case of suicide, but the actual reason behind the extreme step remains to be ascertained. (Representational image)

The victim’s family performed her last rites on Sunday morning after two days of protest, they added.

Police said on Sunday that prima facie, it is suspected to be a case of suicide, but the actual reason behind the extreme step remains to be ascertained.

“Our investigation is underway from all angles. However, we are suspecting that she died by suicide. But whether the cause related to harassment or some personal issue is yet to be ascertained,” said Rajeev Kumar Gupta, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Central Noida.

“No case could be registered till Sunday evening as the statements of grieved family members are yet to be recorded. After the statements, action will be taken,” the ACP added.

The victim, who was originally from Amroha and resided in Noida’s Sector 168, died after falling from the 10th floor late Friday evening. She was employed as a babysitter at a house in the high-rise for the past three years. Her employer works at an IT firm, said officials.

In the police complaint, accessed by HT, the victim’s family said on Friday, she had taken a day off to meet her sister. But around 1.30 pm, she returned to work and around 8.30pm, police informed them that she had died by suicide.

“When we reached the spot, we were not allowed to enter inside the society. The police officer deployed there attempted to mislead us by saying that she was rushed to a hospital. Later, we found that her body was being shifted and they (police) did not allow us to see it. Later, we were informed that her body was shifted to the post-mortem house in Sector 94,” reads the complaint.

The complaint further states that in the past she had informed them that her employer touched her inappropriately three to four times. “She complained about this to his wife also and left the work. But on his wife’s insistence she started working there again as she was emotionally attached to their daughter,” it adds.

The victim family has stated that they suspect that there is some foul play behind her death and thus they want a fair and extensive investigation into the case.

Following the incident, the family had staged a protest, and after two days of counselling, they took their body to their hometown in Amroha for last rites. Further investigation is underway, said police.