23-year-old model dies by suicide in Surat, wrote in last Instagram post, 'it doesn't matter if...'

A young model has allegedly died by suicide in Gujarat's Surat, police said on Sunday. The victim, 23-year-old Anjali Varmora, was found hanging at her residence in the Athwa area. According to initial reports, the local police were alerted and swiftly moved the model's body for post-mortem examination.

Investigators believe Anjali may have been battling prolonged mental stress, though no suicide note has been recovered so far. Authorities have begun a deeper probe, including questioning family members and scanning her mobile phone for possible clues. Police sources say more startling revelations could emerge as the investigation progresses.

Earlier, 19-year-old Sukhpreet Kaur, an aspiring model from Madhya Pradesh, was found dead in Surat's Saroli area. She had moved to the city chasing her dreams in the fashion world. However, she ended her life under mysterious circumstances.

Subsequent police inquiries revealed that Sukhpreet was allegedly being blackmailed and mentally harassed by a man named Mahendra Rajput, who has since been booked by Saroli police on charges of assault and abetment.

While police continue their investigations, mental health professionals are calling for greater awareness, support systems, and safe reporting spaces for those in distress.

Gujarat has witnessed a troubling rise in suicides over the past few years, with more than 25,000 deaths reported between 2020-21 and 2022-23, according to official data presented in the Assembly. This includes 8,307 suicides in 2020-21, 8,614 in 2021-22, and 8,557 in 2022-23.

Urban centres such as Ahmedabad (3,280 cases), Surat (2,862), and Rajkot (1,287) accounted for a significant proportion of these deaths. Among the victims were 495 students, a nearly equal split between males and females, highlighting a disturbing trend of rising mental distress among youth.

Student suicides alone increased from 147 in 2020-21 to 179 in 2022-23, with examination pressure, academic failure, and lack of emotional support cited as major causes.

(This story hast not been edited by DNA staff and is published from news agency IANS).