Malad suicide: Police to check bank records

The Malad police are questioning the wife of Harshi Mandal, 40, a ‘close friend’ of Leela Gibson, 50, who committed suicide in her rented apartment in Malad on Tuesday.

The Malad police are questioning the wife of Harshi Mandal, 40, a ‘close friend’ of Leela Gibson, 50, who committed suicide in her rented apartment in Malad on Tuesday.

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Gibson’s suicide note had claimed that Mandal, Gibson’s lover, had pocketed the proceeds from the flat’s sale, and blamed him for Gibson’s suicide.

‘He is the reason for my death,’ Gibson had written in her suicide note.

The police would be verifying the allegations made by Gibson against Mandal, and checking their bank accounts to see if any transaction had been made.

Mandal and his wife Lajja, a schoolteacher, stay in Lokhandwala in Andheri West.

Mandal, who works as a creative head with On Screen Entertainment Private Limited in Mindspace, had met Gibson around five years ago. Gibson had been divorced for 20 years.

Gibson’s daughter, Poonam Piplani, 26, works as an anchor in chat shows and stays in Yari Road at Andheri.

Gibson’s daughter told the police that she was not aware of sale of her mother’s flat, which was mentioned in suicide note

Gibson’s neighbours also confirmed that Mandal, who has been booked for abetment of suicide, used to visit her frequently.

However, none of them had seen him around on Tuesday. Mandal’s wife was also aware of his affair.

“His advocates have contacted us on Thursday, which means he is in touch with them,” said the police officer.

“We will also be checking the phone records of Gibson and Mandal,” he added.