Playback singer Kumar Sanu’s driver committed suicide by hanging himself in his employer’s plush bungalow at Versova, in the wee hours of Tuesday. The police suspect that Sajid Mohammed Khan (33) was depressed as he was under financial pressure. Sanu was not present in the house at the time of the incident.Khan had been employed as Sanu’s chauffeur for the past six years and had been asked to take care of Sargam Bungalow at MHADA Colony in Versova, while the singer stayed at another house in Lokhandwala. Khan lived alone in the bungalow, while his family lived at Chakala in Andheri. “He committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan in a room on the first floor of Sargam Bungalow, between 2 am and 3 am on Tuesday. He did not leave any suicide note and investigations are on to ascertain what provoked Khan to take the drastic step. No foul play is suspected and he was alone in bungalow when he died,” said Additional Commissioner of Police, Western Region, Bipin Bihari.According to the police, Sanu had visited Sargam Bungalow on Monday evening and had given Khan Rs 2,000 for Bakrid, along with Rs 1,200 to buy food for Sanu’s pet dog. The singer had then left the bungalow.“He had visited his wife in Chakala on Monday. His wife told us that during his visit, she had reminded him to pay Rs 10,000 as deposit for their room. Financial stress might have led Khan to take such an extreme step. He had often told his close friends that he had become sick of living but none of them paid any attention,” added Bihari.However, Khan’s relatives say his death was a shock. “He quit drinking two months ago and had been offering namaaz regularly. He visited his family on Monday and had seemed alright. The news has come as a shock to all of us,” said Nisha Hussein, Khan’s sister-in-law.According to the police, some of Khan’s friends had visited the bungalow on Monday night, hoping to celebrate Id with him. However, despite repeatedly ringing the door bell, Khan did not answer. The suicide came to light when neighbours broke open the door to the bungalow at about 7 am on Tuesday, to check on him. According to forensic experts who visited the house, Khan had died about six hours before the body was discovered. His body was sent to Cooper Hospital for post-mortem.
