It was a regular afternoon at the Rose Garden in Chandigarh’s Sector 16 — one of the city’s prime public places — when some people heard a scream from the women’s toilet around 3.15 pm on Saturday, November 29. When they, along with traffic police personnel posted at the entrance, entered the toilet, they found a woman with her throat slit.
Here’s what we know of the case that’s turning out to be a mystery so far:
How was the woman found? A woman present nearby was asked to look inside by passersby who heard the screams. She found the woman motionless on the floor, soaked in blood, with a gash on her neck, apparently caused by a knife. The injured woman was still breathing faintly, but died within moments, police said. Cops took her to the government hospital just metres from the place, where doctors declared her brought dead.
Who was she? The deceased was identified as Diksha Thakur, 30, through documents found on her person, including an application form related to the Bihar Staff Selection Commission.
Chandigarh Police officials said Diksha was from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Later inquiry found she was separated from her husband for nearly a year, with whom she has a three-year-old son.
She was staying as a paying guest in Phase 11 of Mohali, for the past about four months. She worked as a customer care executive with a private media and OTT company, Chaupal TV, located in Industrial Area, Phase 2, Chandigarh.
Why did she leave work early? Investigations revealed that she had been on medical leave for more than a week due to anxiety and other health issues. Earlier the same week, she had visited a hospital in the neighbouring Haryana town of Panchkula with her brother-in-law and was prescribed anti-anxiety medication. On Saturday, back from leave, she reportedly left work early, around 2 pm, saying she felt unwell. She went to Rose Garden from there, said investigators. Police are examining CCTV footage and her call records. The staff deployed at the toilet was absent on Saturday, meaning no eyewitnesses.
Were any clues found at the scene? A four-inch kitchen knife was found at the scene by the forensics team. Investigators were yet to determine whether it was a murder or suicide. Police also found in her bag some anti-depressant medication. “At this stage, we have not found evidence of foul play. However, we are examining every possible angle, including personal, circumstantial and psychological factors. The post-mortem report and forensic analysis will be crucial in determining the exact cause of death,” SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said.
The toilet area has been sealed and security intensified at Rose Garden, frequented mostly by the elderly, women and children.
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Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).
