Jamia intern commits suicide

A 30-year-old intern at Jamia Millia Islamia’s Faculty of Dentistry committed suicide at her friend’s house in South East Delhi’s Jamia Nagar.

According to the police, body of Heena Pecker was found around 12.30 am on Wednesday and bore ligature marks on her neck. No suicide note was found, the police added.

The officials also said that in her post-mortem report asphyxia through hanging has come out as the reason of death and they have now ruled out murder as a possible cause of death.

“Asphyxia death could happen through two reasons – one through homicide and the other through suicide. This one falls in the latter category,” said a senior police officer.

Pecker had left her hostel on July 16 and informed the hostel’s authorities that she was leaving for her home town in Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh.

However, rather than going to her home town she went to her friend Gulzar Ahmed’s house in Joga Bai Extension of Jamia Nagar area and stayed there for two days.

According to the police, Pecker was in a live-in relationship with Ahmed and used to frequent his house.

Pecker’s body was found lying on floor with a dupatta tied around her neck in Ahmed’s house.

“During our investigation we have found that they had an argument few hours before she committed suicide. This could be a reason of her taking the step,” the senior officer said.

Ahmed, who is a local DJ (disc jockey), was at his house when the woman was found dead, said the police. He was the one who informed the police about her death.

The police are questioning Ahmed and trying to know more about the circumstances under which she committed suicide.

Money trouble

Initially, it was being speculated that Pecker had committed suicide after being unable to pay her hostel fees; however, the university’s authorities denied the claims as baseless and wrong.

“Nobody was served a notice or reminder regarding hostel fees. Speculation that she committed suicide on account of hostel fees is completely wrong,” said Mukesh Ranjan, spokesman of Jamia Millia Islamia.

The police have also ruled out any pressure from university or hostel authorities on Pecker to pay her hostel fees.

According to university authorities she was a cheerful person and her death has come as a shock to them.

Pecker was working as an intern with Jamia’s Dentistry department at a monthly stipend of Rs 15,200, said university officials.