Mumbai: Woman, 26, found hanging in Khar; ‘was under pressure from boyfriend’

The Khar police on Monday found a 26-year-old make-up artiste hanging from the ceiling fan of her bedroom, with both her wrists slashed. While the cops have filed an accidental death report, Sarah Yanthan's mother says it is murder.

Sarah hails from Nagaland and worked as a make-up artist for Bollywood films, television and web series. Sarah resided at Lokhandwala in Andheri, but she moved to Khar Danda three days back, said the police. However, she had not been responding to the real estate broker's calls since Sunday morning.

As the rent payment was still pending, the broker even came to her flat, but returned when she did not answer the door bell. After two days of frantic calls, the broker visited her flat again on Monday evening and called the Khar police.

Sarah Yanthan, the deceased

The police arrived around 7.45 pm, broke the door of her flat open, and found Sarah hanging from the ceiling fan of her bedroom. Right under her, on the floor, a pool of blood had accumulated, cops said. Police found cut marks on both of her hands.

With the help of Nagaland-based NGOs, the police traced her family and contacted her mother Rozy Yanthan who arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday and identified the body as that of her daughter.

Sarah's post-mortem was conducted at Cooper hospital on Tuesday afternoon after which her body was handed over to her mother. Rozy believes that someone murdered her daughter and made it look like suicide.

"My daughter does not share much with me, but a few days ago, she told me that she was in a relationship with a banker. She told me that the man was forcing her to get married, but she had told him that it was too early for her," Rozy told mid-day.

(In red top) Rozy Yanthan, Sarah's mother, at Cooper hospital on Tuesday

"Sarah was found hanging with cuts on both of her wrists. There was blood in her entire bedroom. It looks like she was killed and later hanged by someone. I suspect that she was murdered and the police should investigate her death accordingly," Rozy said.

PSI Abhijit Mane of Khar police station said, "We have registered an accidental death report. The case is under investigation. We are waiting for the post-mortem report."

7.45 pm
Time cops found body on Monday