Maid dies by suicide in Thane high-rise | Mumbai News

THANE: A 45-year-old maid died by suicide in a high-rise building in Hiranandani estate in Thane on Thursday. As the news spread, other maids in the complex gathered to protest as it was initially believed that she had fallen from the building. However, CCTV footage later showed that her cause of death was suicide. Kasarvadavli police have registered an accident report in this case.

The deceased was a resident of Waghbil area and had been living in Thane since the age of 19, after moving here from her native place in Jalgaon district. Her husband, a former driver, recently left his job due to health problems, making him the sole breadwinner for their family of five. They have three children: one married daughter and two others, a girl and a boy, who are students.

Police said she left her home around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning to go to her regular job. After working at her employers’ homes in the Pelican building on Wood Street, she went to a shelter on the 22nd floor, where she committed suicide.

According to the Kasarvadavli police, the incident took place around 11.30 am. The police, informed by the society’s office staff, immediately reached the spot and sent the body for autopsy.

Shailaja Patil, one of her colleagues, said, “We have been working together for a long time and always help each other find new jobs. She was very sweet and helpful. When I received the news of her death, I was shocked. I wondered why she was in the shelter since we rarely used it unless we were asked to clean it.”

An officer of Kasarvadavli police station said, “We immediately checked the CCTV footage of the building and saw the woman going to the shelter area alone. Further investigation revealed that her husband had been suffering from kidney problems for a long time and her son was also suffering from health problems. Perhaps she was overwhelmed by these burdens.