Model-Actress Found Dead On 22nd Birthday; Husband Accused Of Domestic Abuse

A model-turned-actress' husband has been accused of domestic abuse after she was found dead in their home in the Indian state of Kerala this week.

Sahana, who had started her career appearing in advertisements and had recently worked on a movie, was found dead in mysterious circumstances at her residence in Kozhikode Thursday night, just hours after she celebrated her 22nd birthday, the Hindustan Times reported. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

Her body was discovered by her husband Sajjad. He was detained by police for questioning as part of their ongoing investigation into Sahana's death, according to the outlet.

Sahana’s parents alleged that the actress suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her husband and claimed that Sajjad and his parents could have murdered their daughter.

Sajjad used to harass Sahana for money, her family alleged. The actress' husband previously worked in Qatar but is currently unemployed, according to reports.

“My daughter would never die by suicide, she was murdered. She used to cry all the time saying they were torturing her. He used to get drunk and create trouble,” Sahana’s mother told reporters Friday.

“His parents and sister were also torturing her, then I suggested that they move to a separate house. Even after that, my daughter told me that he was behaving badly with her and wanted money. The 25 sovereigns of gold that we gave had been used. She had wanted to meet us on her birthday,” the mother continued.

For his part, Sajjad said that he is innocent and that he found his wife dead in the bathroom.

The owner of the house that the couple was renting in Kozhikode told Matrubhoomi News: “I heard Sajjad’s call for help, and I rushed to the house. When I entered the house, I saw his wife lying on his lap.”

“When I asked him what happened, he said she was not responding. So I asked him to take her to the hospital. We then called the police, and they reached here within five minutes,” the couple's landlord stated.

The investigation into Sahana's death is ongoing. Police said they have not ruled out foul play.

A senior police official said that it is not yet certain whether this was a case of suicide.

“She acted in a Tamil venture and received some money for it recently. The couple seem to have had arguments over this. Yesterday was her birthday, but he came back late. The couple had another argument then. According to the husband, he found her dead inside the bathroom after that,” Assistant Commissioner of Police K. Sudarshan told News Minute.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.