Faridabad journalist falls off 5th floor, police say suicide

A journalist against whom an extortion case was recently registered was found dead in mysterious circumstances in Faridabad on Sunday night.

A journalist against whom an extortion case was recently registered was found dead in mysterious circumstances in Faridabad on Sunday night. Police said she allegedly jumped off the fifth floor of an apartment.

File photo of Pooja Tiwari, who was recently named in an extortion case.

The journalist, Pooja Tiwari, who until recently worked with a national media portal, was in a flat in Sector 56 with two friends— Indore-based journalist Amreen and Haryana Police inspector Amit Kumar-- when the incident happened, police officers said.

“As per the statement of eyewitnesses Amreen and Amit Kumar, Pooja Tiwari started drinking in the evening and continued after dinner,” said Surajkund station house officer Rajinder Singh.

Police quoted the eyewitnesses as saying, “An FIR of cheating and extortion already stands registered against her on the complaint of a doctor couple and she was discussing the issue with her friends.”

The two of them told police that Tiwari suddenly became angry and jumped from the balcony around 11.45pm.

Pooja Tiwari’s friends claimed she jumped off the 5th floor of a building. (Prabhu Razdan/HT Photo)

But the Surajkund SHO said he got the information only at 3am. When the police along with crime team rushed to the scene, the body had been taken to a private hospital in Sector 21 and declared brought dead.

“Prima facie the incident seems to be a suicide but we will go by the statement of the parents who have arrived in Faridabad,” said Faridabad commissioner of police Hanif Qureshi. Tiwari hailed from Indore.

Amreen came to Faridabad on April 22 on Tiwari’s suggestion that she would find a better job in Delhi-NCR. Inspector Kumar joined the Faridabad police a few days after his transfer from the vigilance department. Officials said Kumar even visited Tiwari at her house in Indore.

The police said the media house had suspended Tiwari after the FIR was registered against her and she was without a salary .

Her post-mortem is expected to be conducted on Tuesday. “All angles are being investigated,” said the commissioner.