A 25-year-old woman from Kandivali was found dead by suicide at her residence on Saturday. Police have registered a case of abetment to suicide against her boyfriend, identified as Juber Khan (23), for allegedly subjecting her to mental harassment and physical assault.
According to her mother’s statement, the accused had been abusing and beating the woman for some time, which allegedly pushed her to take the extreme step.
The incident occurred between 10 and 10:15 am on Saturday at a housing society in Kandivali. The deceased lived with her mother, a 48-year-old domestic worker. The woman’s father had been living separately for the last 17 years, and the family had no other source of income.
The deceased had studied up to Class 9 and was working as a helper at a salon in Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali. She would leave for work in the morning and return home around 9 pm.
She was reportedly in a relationship with Juber Khan, who frequently visited their house. When her mother learnt about their relationship, the woman expressed her intention to marry him and insisted on continuing the relationship despite her mother's objections.
On Friday night, when her mother returned home from work, she found her daughter asleep. The woman refused dinner and appeared stressed. Her mobile phone was broken, and when asked, she claimed it had fallen accidentally.
On Saturday morning, the mother left for work as usual, leaving her daughter alone at home. Around 10 am, a neighbour called to inform her that the woman had been found hanging inside the house. She rushed home immediately.
Local residents took the woman to Riddhi Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Kandivali Police reached the spot and later shifted the body to Shatabdi Hospital for post-mortem. Juber Khan was present at both hospitals after learning about her death.
Police investigation revealed that Juber had visited the woman’s house after her mother left for work. An argument reportedly broke out between the two, following which Juber left the house.
Later, he allegedly broke open the door, untied the noose from her neck and attempted to take her to the hospital.
Initial investigation suggests that the accused had been mentally and physically harassing her for a long time. Her mother alleged that the harassment drove her daughter to suicide.
Based on the complaint, Kandivali Police have registered a case against Juber Khan for mental harassment and abetment to suicide. He resides in Ganesh Nagar, Kandivali, and will soon be interrogated. Police said action, including arrest, will follow after the inquiry.