MUMBAI: Kritika Chaudhary, a 26-year-old struggling model and actress was found dead in her apartment at Shree Badrinath Society in Four Bungalows, Andheri on Monday, June 12. Her body was found in a decomposed state.
Kritika Chaudhary has appeared in Kangana Ranaut-starrer Rajjo and a Balaji television show called Parichay. She was married, but had left her husband after she suspected him of having an affair, police sources said. The couple was in the process of finalising their divorce.
Kritika seemed to have been dead for three or four days, the police said. The police broke open her door, which was bolted from inside, around 3.45 pm on Monday. Her decomposed body was discovered after neighbours complained of a pungent odour emanating from her flat. According to the post-mortem report from Cooper Hospital, she died of a serious head injury. Rashmi Karandikar, Mumbai Police spokesperson, said, “A FIR has been registered against unknown persons and investigations are on.
“Police have received the post-mortem report some time back and after going through it, we have filed an offence of murder,” Paramjeet Dahiya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-IX) said, according to news agency Press Trust of India.
Ms Chaudhary often visited a temple across the lane from her building. The priest recalled seeing her at the temple six days ago. Neighbours had also reported that she hadn’t been seen leaving her home for days.
The air conditioner of Kritika’s room had been left on. The killers might have done this to ensure that the body did not decompose quickly, said police. “She was half-naked. Her legs were hanging off the bed. She was wearing a night dress. Her face had been covered with a piece of cloth,” said a police source. Police suspect the cloth may have been used to smother her and she might have been assaulted.
Police said primary investigations did not lead them to believe that anything was stolen. They are still examining CCTV camera footage to find the leads. The Amboli police have also begun questioning Chaudhary’s friends and acquaintances in the TV and film industry
