Lovers end their lives

MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 9: The dark grey Maruti MH-02-K-535, belonging allegedly to the girl, was parked along a lane on the Waterfield Road, a...

MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 9: The dark grey Maruti MH-02-K-535, belonging allegedly to the girl, was parked along a lane on the Waterfield Road, around 10 metres from the famous Chinagate restaurant. The tinted glass panes had been rolled up, and the caller who informed the police had apparenthy noticed the bodies through the front window.

The two, according to the police, had consumed poison before reaching the place, since no vial or bottle was found around them. Both the boy and the girl were clad in jeans. No injuries were apparent on their bodies. A short suicide letter was obtained which, according to Sr Inspector Suresh Walishetty of the Khar police station, said they were committing suicide on their own volition and that nobody should be held responsible for it.

Apparently Poonam and Virendra were in love and had got secretly married in February 8217;98. While Virendra8217;s family was against the marriage, the girl had not told her father about it. 8220;She wanted to wait for sometime before she disclosed her marriage,8221; said a sobbing Bunty elder brother of Virendra, as he completed the formalities at the site. 8220;But her friend told her father,8221; he added.

All hell broke thereafter. The girl was allegedly made to sign papers saying she was forced to marry Virendra. Court cases were registered. They were separated. 8220;He kept telling us that he would die if he was kept away from her. We tried to pacify him8230;he used to weep. He said he would do something drastic. They had an affair for the past eight years,8221; sobbed Bunty. 8220;But her father said he would not allow his daughter to marry a Hindu. Everything was quiet for a few days. Today he left home early.8221;

While Virendra was a Rajput, Poonam was a Sindhi. They knew each other since childhood. Both lived in Andheri. While the girl lived at Lokhandwala, the boy lived near the Andheri Sports Complex.

Poonam8217;s father, Prakash Ahuja, who has a business in real estate, was today calm and composed at the scene of the incident. But his wife fainted when she saw her daughter stiff and still on the ambulance bed. Ahuja refused to comment on the incident. When reminded of the charges made by the boy8217;s family, he said she had evidence to counter them.

As for the Rajawats, the mother, a heart patient, hasn8217;t been told as yet about the incident. Virendra was the youngest in a family of four brothers and 2 sisters. He was working as a salesman in a furniture company. The couple met at the college regularly.

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The bodies have been taken to the Cooper Hospital for postmortum.

However even as the very private affair took place in a public locality another sideshow was on. The police failed to get a single person, among the crowds gathered to sign as a members for the panchanama8217;.

In the end a woman walking by agreed to sign. 8220;It is easier in lower-class localities and zopadpatti. But in these upper class areas, nobody comes forward,8221; fumed Sr Inspector, Valishetty. 8220;In these cases there is nothing to fear. There are no court cases nor do you have to testify as a witness.8221;

That did not, however, convince Renu, the woman who signed as the witness. She was beseeching police officers to talk to her husband and convince him that she hadn8217;t got into a spot.