Renowned model and social media influencer, San Rechal Gandhi, died by suicide in Puducherry on Sunday, at the young age of 26. She was known for her strong stance against colourism in the modelling and entertainment industry, and her advocacy of inclusivity irrespective of size and skin colour.
According to police, San Rechal consumed a large number of tablets to end her life, post which she was rushed to a government hospital. She was then shifted to a private hospital, and was ultimately moved to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), where he breathed her last.
Who was San Rechal Gandhi?
San Rechal Gandhi entered the world of modelling at a young age. She held the titles of Miss Best Attitude 2019, Miss Dark Queen Tamil Nadu 2019, and Queen of Madras 2022. She was also crowned as Miss Pondicherry in 2022.
In 2023, San Rechal represented India at Miss Africa Golden pageant.
She was also a pageant coach with 180K followers on Instagram. On her social media and even during her participation in various pageants, San Rechal advocated for encouraging dark-skinned models in the fashion industry. She was known for her anti-colourism stance, and she strived to break stereotypes surrounding skin colour in the entertainment industry.
Why did San Rechal Gandhi die?
San Rechal was reportedly under severe financial distress, and hours before her death, she had visited her father's house, requesting him for some money. However, the father reportedly denied her any money, citing responsibilities towards his son.
San Rechal had also sold off her jewellery in the months before her demise to support her professional pursuits, but that did not suffice, pushing under immense financial stress.
It is to be noted that San Rechal also got married only a year ago, and local cops are now probing if marital stress was also a reason behind her suicide.
Meanwhile, the model left behind a suicide note, stating that no one was to be held responsible for her death.
