 "Tuli was the first woman pilot from Gorakhpur and she was honoured by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, her uncle said. Image courtesy: X/@Md_Alzamar0")
A 25-year-old female pilot, Srishti Tuli, employed with Air India, was found dead in her rented flat in Mumbai’s Andheri area.
According to officials, she allegedly hanged herself using a data cable. However, her family, based in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, has accused her boyfriend, Aditya Pandit, of murdering her and attempting to stage it as a suicide.
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Following the incident, Pandit, 27, was arrested on charges of abetment based on a complaint filed by Srishti’s family.
The police confirmed that no suicide note was found at the scene.
Emotional abuse, humiliation: Allegations against pilot’s boyfriend
Srishti Tuli and Aditya Pandit met two years ago during a commercial pilot course in Delhi and began a relationship. However, her family has alleged that Pandit subjected her to emotional abuse and humiliation.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Tuli’s family claimed that Pandit mistreated her publicly and even restricted her from eating non-vegetarian food. The family has urged Mumbai police to conduct a detailed investigation into her death.
Police inquiries suggest Tuli was mentally distressed due to Pandit’s alleged harassment. Notably, Pandit had been preparing for a pilot’s exam but failed to qualify.
As per NDTV, the First Information Report (FIR) filed against Pandit at Powai police station mentions several incidents of alleged mistreatment. According to Tuli’s uncle, Vivekkumar Narendrakumar Tuli, Pandit pressured her to change her eating habits and frequently ill-treated her.
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More ShortsThe FIR also cites an incident from November last year, where Pandit borrowed Vivekkumar’s car to take Tuli and her cousin Rashi shopping in Delhi. During the outing, an argument broke out, and Pandit allegedly used abusive language against Tuli in Rashi’s presence. He then rammed the car into another vehicle.
The uncle said that the car was damaged but Pandit did not seem affected by the incident.
The bizarre incident over ‘non vegetarian food’
An argument over non-vegetarian food allegedly turned into public humiliation for Tuli during a dinner outing in Gurugram this March.
According to NDTV, Tuli and her boyfriend were dining with Rashi and her friends when she and the others suggested ordering non-vegetarian food. Pandit allegedly insulted Tuli over the suggestion.
Although the couple eventually left to eat vegetarian food, minutes later, Tuli called Rashi, saying that Pandit had left her on the road and gone home.
Following the incident, Tuli’s uncle said she confided in Rashi and told her about the complications in their relationship. She admitted feeling trapped because of her love for Aditya despite the difficulties.
Vivekkumar also recalled another instance when Pandit pressured Tuli to attend a family function even though she was scheduled to pilot a flight that day. When she refused, Pandit allegedly blocked her phone number for 10 to 12 days, leaving her distressed.
The complaint filed by Vivekkumar further alleged that Pandit frequently humiliated Tuli in public and would block her phone number over petty disagreements.
Pilot told boyfriend she was taking the ‘extreme step’?
After returning from work on Sunday, Srishti Tuli allegedly had an argument with her boyfriend at her residence. Pandit left for Delhi around 1 am on Monday, but Tuli allegedly called him and said that she was planning to take the extreme step.
According to police officials, Pandit rushed back to her flat but found the door locked from the inside. He called a keymaker to unlock the door and found her unresponsive. Tuli was taken to Seven Hills Hospital in Marol, where she was declared dead. Her family and the police were immediately informed.
Jitendra Sonawane, Senior Inspector at Powai police station, told IE that Pandit was arrested under Section 108 (abetment to suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita following a complaint by Tuli’s family. “He was produced in court on Tuesday and remanded to four days’ police custody,” Sonawane added.
The post-mortem report indicated suicide as the cause of death. “We have sent the woman’s phone, which is locked, to a forensic lab to analyse her conversations with the accused. We will soon record statements from her family members, close friends, colleagues and roommates,” Sonawane told the media outlet.
Boyfriend used to withdraw money from her account?
Tuli’s uncle has alleged that Pandit might have drugged and killed her, despite the post-mortem suggesting suicide. He also accused Pandit of withdrawing money from Tuli’s bank account and possibly blackmailing her, IE reported. “We have found some transactions. We would soon share these details with the police,” he said.
Police confirmed a Rs 65,000 transfer from Tuli’s bank account to Pandit last month, India Today reported.
Vivekkumar told the newspaper, “Tuli was the first woman pilot from Gorakhpur and she was honoured by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. At her cremation in Gorakhpur, hundreds gathered to pay tribute.”
With inputs from agencies