A 23-year-old model Sankara Priya, widely known by her stage name San Rachel Gandhi, has died after attempting suicide.
A well-known face in the beauty pageant circuit, she had won several accolades including Miss Puducherry 2020, Miss Best Attitude 2019, Miss Dark Queen Tamil Nadu 2019, and Queen of Madras in both 2022 and 2023.
San Rachel had been residing in Puducherry with her husband Sathya, whom she married last year.
According to local reports, she had been battling depression, reportedly driven by mounting debts. On June 6, she allegedly consumed sleeping pills in an alleged suicide attempt. Her parents rushed her to the Puducherry Government Hospital, but she reportedly left the facility without informing anyone, refusing treatment.
Over the following days, her condition worsened and she experienced severe body swelling. She was first admitted to a private hospital in Puducherry. As her health degraded, she was transferred to Jipmer (Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research) for advanced care. Despite medical assistance, she passed away on Sunday.
A suicide note was reportedly recovered from her residence, in which she stated that her husband and mother-in-law were not responsible for her decision.
Her body has now been sent to the Puducherry Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. Police investigations into the incident are going on.
