Maharashtra: Woman ends life during video call with boyfriend; kin allege harassment, blackmail

THANE: A 23-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide while on a video call with her boyfriend in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said on Sunday. The incident occurred in the Titwala area on Thursday. The boyfriend has been detained following allegations of harassment and blackmail, a police source added."We have detained the woman's boyfriend and are conducting an inquiry. Her family has alleged that he has cheated many other girls in this manner," said an official from the Titwala police station, requesting anonymity.The two first connected on Instagram, developed a friendship, and later entered into a relationship.Citing her family's version, the official said, "The boyfriend had taken her jewellery under various pretexts.

When she asked him to return the ornaments, he began to blackmail her with threats of making her private videos public." The woman, unable to bear the harassment, ended her life by hanging herself at home, an official said. Her family later told police that on checking her phone, they found she had been on a video call with her boyfriend at the time of the incident. She was cremated without an autopsy, and no FIR has been filed so far, the official added.(With inputs from agency)