Anissia wanted to live, not die

Prateek Chauhan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 21

A new twist has come in the suicide of Anissia Batra (39), the flight attendant with Lufthansa, who allegedly jumped to death from the terrace of her residence in south Delhi’s Panshcheel Park.

The police said that her parents have alleged dowry harassment by her husband, Mayan Singhvi.

According to an eye witness, when Anissia fell from the terrace, for sometime, she held a grill and was hanging in air.

The eye witness also said that Anissia tried to save herself but she could not hold on to the grill for long and she fell and died, said a senior police officer doing the probe.

Two labourers are the eye witnesses — who were working near Batra's house — have given statement to the police in the case.

The statements recorded by the two eye witnesses are also stating that when she fell down, first she hit the boundary wall of the building and then she fell on the ground.

Just before dying, Anissia had texted to her friends that Mayank was responsible for her death. Her the last WhatsApp text message to one of her friend before she committed suicide said, ‘I am going to kill myself today because Mayank has driven me to it’. It has also come to light that Anissia wanted to divorce Mayank — when she got to know that he is a divorcee.

A friend of Anissia who received message before she died and didn’t want her name to be disclosed said Anissia had told her that she wanted to get separated from Mayank. And she was also looking for a separate house to live.

Further, according to DCP Romil Banniya, in the case, a request letter from both the alleged has been received in the police station through their counsel requesting for exemption for three days on the ground of health.

Notice will again be issued to them to join investigation, DCP added.

Her father, Major Batra (retd), had also written a compliant to SHO Hauz Khas on June 27 (when she was alive) fearing that her daughter was in problem and police needs to look into the matter regarding her safety and well-being.

'My daughter got married to Mayank Singhvi on 23 February 2016 at Delhi Cantonment. Mayank Singhvi is a violent man and is harassing my daughter and physically abusing her. We have been keeping quiet to keep the marriage alive but now his violence is becoming more frequent,' stated the letter.