Mumbai: Ten days after a 31-year-old photographer hanged herself to death at her father's Borivli residence, police have registered a case of abetment to suicide against her lover-cum-business associate, Nishank Sharma, on Monday evening. While no arrests have been made, police said appropriate action will be taken after investigation.
On June 15, a photographer, Arpita Sansetwar, had hanged herself to death from a ceiling fan at her father’s residence in Borivli (E). Police said, Arpita had separated from her husband in 2015 and was living at her maiden home since then. After the separation, she had set up her own business of event photography, meanwhile her divorce case was underway in a family court. During this time, she grew close to Nishank, who was her business associate and got her photography projects.
When Arpita’s father returned after completing her last rites, his younger daughter confided and revealed that Nishank was responsible for her death. Shocked, the father enquired with his daughter, who said Arpita and Nishank were planning to get married once her divorce was finalised. However, she said, all was not well between the young couple for the last few days.
After the revelation, the family checked Arpita’s mobile phone and saw a string of vulgar messages sent on WhatsApp by Nishank on the day of the incident. In those messages, Nishank had verbally abused Arpita, asking her not to return to him begging for reconciliation and he couldn't be bothered if she died. Soon after this, Arpita locked herself in the bedroom and hanged herself to death. A senior police officer said, earlier they had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in the matter, but after the father brought these conversations in light, a case of abetment to suicide was registered.
“We have booked Nishank Sharma under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for abetment to suicide (section 309) and are investigating the case. No arrests have been made as yet and Nishank will be called in for questioning. Meanwhile, Arpita’s father has submitted the WhatsApp conversation between his daughter and Nishank, which makes an airtight case,” said Laxman Dumbre, a senior inspector of Borivli police station.