Famous Ghazal singer Chitra Singh’s 47-year-old daughter allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her Bandra (W) residence in the wee hours of Friday. Though she did not leave a suicide note, police claim Monica Chaudhary was under depression for the past few months. Chaudhary was residing in Kalpal Hormus building at Perry Cross Road at Bandra.
According to the police, the incident came to light when Monika’s elder son Armaan Chaudhary, 19, woke up at around 10 am and tried to enter his mother’s room, but found it locked from inside.
“When the elder son did not get a response from inside, he broke open the door, and found his mother hanging from the ceiling fan with her dupatta,” said deputy commissioner of police, Zone-IX, Niket Kaushik. He added that Monica’s body was taken to Cooper Hospital for post-mortem.
Investigating officer and police inspector Sunil Kulkarni from Bandra police station, said, “On Thursday night, Monika was chatting with her mother Chitra and later went to sleep in her bedroom.” Chitra, wife of legendary Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, was staying with her daughter and her two children Armaan and Omer, 12, in Bandra for the past month. “We have registered a case of suicide and have recorded Chitra and Armaan’s statements,” added Kulkarni.
The police believe that depression could have driven Monika to end her life. “In 2005, Monica was divorced from her first husband Jehangir Chaudhary. The same year though, she married a UK national Mark Atkins,” said Kaushik.
He added that, in 2007, Monica had filed a case of mental and physical harassment at Bandra police station against her second husband Atkins. In 2008, Atkins fled the country and never returned, following which an Interpol red-corner notice was issued against him. On Thursday, the younger son Omer had gone to Singapore for vacations with his father Jehangir.
