Maid of man held in abetment of suicide case kills herself in Malad

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The 18-year-old maid of a businessman, who had been arrested by the Malad police in the abetment of suicide of a 34-year-old woman in the year 2013, committed suicide last week. So far the police have found no foul play and have registered an ADR.

The deceased has been identified as Kusum Kanojia. Police said Kanojia was working as a maid in Harish Shekhawat's, 37, house for the past couple of years. At the time of the incident on Wednesday, Shekhawat's wife and their daughter were present in the house on the 10th floor in Kalpataru Pinnacle Tower. The 11-year-old daughter went to the kitchen for water and saw Kanojia hanging from the ceiling fan.

The Malad police were informed and they sent the body for autopsy at Sidharth hospital. During inquiry it was revealed that Kanojia had met the Shekhawats through their former maid. Police checked with her and neighbours, but no one had anything to complain.

However, considering that Shekhawat was earlier arrested in an abetment of suicide case, police are investigating minutely. "The body was handed to Kanojia's parents who arrived from UP. They were asked if they wanted to complain against someone but they did not. They took the body with them," said a police officer.

"Several social workers in the area have met the senior police officer of Malad police station and asked him to enquire in the matter in detail. The husband of a woman who had committed suicide by jumping from Kalpataru Pinnacle in the year 2013, had alleged that Shekhawat was sexually harassing her," said Anita Talvar, a social worker from Malad. Shekhawat is out on bail in that case.

"I was not present in the house. Kanojia was working for us for past two years. We treated her like our daughter. The reason behind the suicide is not yet known. We informed her parents and helped them come to Mumbai from UP," said Shekhawat. Asked about the case he was arrested in, he said, "I was falsely trapped. The allegation was false, I had no role to play."

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