Ahmedabad, Feb 11 Ahmedabad police have launched an investigation into the mysterious death of 23-year-old physiotherapy graduate Drishti Prajapati, who was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a hospital room in Naranpura.
Drishti, a resident of Meghaninagar, had been working at Shreeji Wellness in the same area. Her family alleges that she was driven to suicide due to emotional and physical abuse by her former fiancé, Rajinikanth Prajapati.
The Gujarat University police have registered a case against Rajinikanth based on the contents of Drishti’s suicide note. Investigators are now probing the allegations of sexual coercion and emotional torment that allegedly pushed her to take the extreme step.
Meanwhile, Drishti’s grieving family is seeking justice, demanding strict action against those responsible for her suffering.
According to police officials, Drishti had been battling depression after her engagement with Rajinikanth, son of Bharatbhai Nenaji Prajapati from Shahibaug, fell apart.
Her family claims that Drishti had discovered Rajinikanth’s alleged affair with another woman, which had led to the breakdown of their relationship. In a note found at the scene, Drishti reportedly accused Rajinikanth of coercing her into a physical relationship and subjecting her to emotional and physical abuse. Drishti’s mother, Bharti, has stated that her daughter had confided to her about the pressure and threats she faced from Rajinikanth.
The abuse, she claims, escalated after their engagement in April 2024. On the morning of her death, Drishti had informed her family that she was visiting a patient in Shahibaug before heading to work in Naranpura. When she stopped responding to calls, her family grew suspicious. Shortly after, they received a distressing call about her suicide. Upon reaching the hospital, they found her lifeless body and immediately alerted the authorities.
According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the state reported 8,050 suicides in 2020, which increased to 8,789 in 2021, marking a 9.1 per cent rise. In 2022, the number further escalated to 9,002 suicides. Between 2020 and 2022, Gujarat recorded a total of 25,478 suicides.
Among its cities, Ahmedabad reported the highest number with 3,280 cases, followed by Surat with 2,862, and Rajkot with 1,287. The primary causes identified for these suicides include family problems (2,285 cases in 2022), illnesses (1,747 cases), and marital issues (367 cases). Notably, homemakers accounted for a significant portion, with 1,761 cases in 2022.
Alarmingly, the suicide rate among daily wage workers has surged by over 50 per cent in the past five years. Currently, approximately nine daily wage workers die by suicide every day in the state. Student suicides have also seen a concerning uptick. Between April 2020 and March 2023, 495 students, including 246 females, took their own lives. This represents a 21 per cent increase in student suicides in the 2022-23 financial year compared to 2020-21.
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