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

THANE: A 45-year-old housemaid died by suicide in a high-rise building in Hiranandani Estate, Thane on Thursday. As the news spread, other maids in the complex gathered to protest as it was initially thought she had fallen from the building. But later CCTV footage showed that the reason for her death was suicide. Kasarvadavli police have registered an accidental death 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 stopped working due to health problems, leaving her as the sole breadwinner for their family of five. They have three children: a married daughter and two others, a girl and a boy, who are studying.

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

According to Kasarvadavli police, the incident happened around 11.30 am. The police, informed by office bearers of the association, immediately reached the spot and sent the body for post-mortem.

Shailaja Patil, one of her colleagues, said, “We have been working together for a long time and always helped 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 sanctuary because we rarely used it unless we were asked to clean it.”

A constable from Kasarvadavli police station said, “We immediately checked the CCTV footage of the building and saw the woman going to the refuge alone. Further investigation revealed that her husband has been ill for a long time due to kidney problems and her son also suffers from health problems. Perhaps she is overwhelmed by these burdens.”