Puducherry: San Rachel, a model who often used her visibility to challenge colourism and promote self-acceptance among young women, allegedly died by suicide on Sunday at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) in Puducherry. The model was 26-year-old.
Rachel was rushed to Jipmer after her health deteriorated reportedly after overdose of sleeping pills. Reports claimed she had consumed the pills on July 5. She was initially treated at the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital. Then, she was shifted to a private hospital in Moolakulam before being transferred to Jipmer. A post-mortem examination will be conducted on Monday.
An alleged suicide note was recovered from her father’s home. It stated that no one should be held responsible for her death. A Tahsildar-level probe into the case had been ordered.
Born and raised in Puducherry, Rachel lost her mother at a young age. She was raised by her father, D Gandhi, 57. She rose to prominence despite early rejections due to her skin tone.
She won several regional and national beauty titles, including Miss Dark Queen Tamil Nadu (2019), Miss Best Attitude (2019), Miss Puducherry (2020/2021), and Queen of Madras (2022 and 2023). She was runner-up in Miss Africa Golden India (2023). She represented India at events in London, Germany, France, and South Africa.
Rachel was also the founder of Rose Noire Fashion Grooming, a pageant and modelling mentorship platform. She was recently married. She was living with her husband in Puducherry.
