Cops issue summons to model's boyfriend

The Khar police issued summons to supermodel Viveka Babajee's 'boyfriend' Gautam Vora on Saturday. HT Correspondent reports.

The Khar police issued summons to supermodel Viveka Babajee's 'boyfriend' Gautam Vora on Saturday.

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The former Miss Mauritius was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her Carter Road apartment on Friday. Vora, whose name Viveka had mentioned in her diary, has been untraceable.

The police are expecting Vora to surface today. Viren Shah, owner of Roopam stores and a friend of the Voras, said, "The family is seeking legal advice and is planning to move court for anticipatory bail for Gautam."

The police started looking for the stock analyst after they found an entry in Viveka's diary that read, "You killed me Gautam Vora". "His mobile phone has been switched off from the day of the incident," said Senior Inspector Mangesh Pote.

Thirty-seven-year-old Viveka shifted to Khar six months ago and paid a monthly rent of at least Rs 1 lakh, Pote said. Sources said Viveka was going through financial crisis and had borrowed money from friends. "We will have to find out whether she had any bank deposits," Pote said.

The police will question Viveka's neighbours and four of her ex-boyfriends--Rohit Jugraj, Kartik Jobanputra, Vora and another person whose name has been withheld in the interest of investigation.

The post-mortem report revealed that Viveka had died due to asphyxiation. Police ruled out the possibility of Viveka having consumed a toxic substance before hanging herself. "Viveka had not consumed any poisonous substance because her nails and lips had not turned blue," Pote said. Her viscera have been sent for forensic analysis.

A doctor from Cooper Hospital said a "paste-like" substance was found in the model's stomach. It has been sent to the forensic science laboratory, he said.

Viveka had called one of three sisters in Mauritius a few hours before allegedly committing suicide and said she was "going away". Police said since Viveka had made such calls in the past her sister did not pay heed. Viveka's mother is expected to reach Mumbai from Mauritius on Monday.