Mumbai: ACP, politician wife booked in woman's suicide over mental harassment

An assistant commissioner of police (ACP), his politician wife and daughter have been bo­oked for abetment of suici­de in Mulund. On Thursday afternoon, a woman, Riya Palande, 44, committed suicide at her home by hanging from a ceiling fan. According to the police, Palande has left a suicide note in which she has accused the ACP Damodar Choudhary, his wife, Bharti, and daughter, Nilakshi, of mental harassment. A source said that there was some dispute over money.

The building in Mulund East where Riya Palande allegedly committed suicide. Pic/ Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Bharti Choudhary is an office bearer with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). After their names appeared in the suicide note, the Navghar police registered an FIR against all three under IPC section 306 (abetment of suicide).

A Navghar police office said, "Initially, we registered an accidental death report but after the suicide note was found we pressed abetment of suicide charges. All three accused live in Mulund West and we had sent officers to arrest them, but they were not at home."

Police said Palande, a wid­ow, was living with her son and daughter in Samarth Villa at Mulund East and ran a general store. At the time of the incident, she was alone at home. When someone from the neighbourhood knocked on her door, she did not respond. After waiting for sometime, the neighbours called Palande's son, a student, who entered the house to see his mother's body hanging from the ceiling fan. The police said the accused live near Palande's general store.

ACP Anil Waljade said, "The ACP, his wife and another wo­man have been booked under various sections of the IPC. Prima facie, the suicide note points to a monetary dispute between the deceased and the accused."