Kozhikode: Model-actress Shahana died at her Parambil Bazar residence, 14 km from here, under mysterious circumstances.
Police said she was found hanging on the window railing on Thursday night. Shahana’s husband Sajjad has been taken into custody for questioning after her mother Uveyma charged her with murder, India Today reported.
According to her mother, it happened to be Shahana’s 20th birthday.
“Shahana contacted us on Thursday evening… She told me she will be celebrating her birthday at her house. She was very happy. I don’t think she committed suicide,” Uveyma was quoted as saying by Mathrubhumi.
Accusing Sajjad of murdering Shahana, Uveyma said: “Sajjad threatened to kill Shahana if she refused to hand over the cheque she had received for an advertisement.”
“We have received information that they had a fight over some cheque which she received for modelling. His version is that she hanged herself on the window. We are investigating whether her act was sufficient to cause death,” ACP Sudharshan told mediapersons.
Shahana started her modelling career after marrying Kozhikode native Sajjad a year-and-a-half ago. She also got acting assignments in Tamil films.
Sajjad was working in Qatar, but Uveyma claimed he refused to return there after Shahana started earning good money.
“He also spent much of the money she earned,” her mother alleged.
According Shahana’s relatives, Sajjad’s family had demanded 25 sovereigns of gold as dowry. Even after marriage, Sajjad allegedly harassed Shahana’s family for more dowry. Furthermore, Sajjad and his family refused to let Shahana’s mother visit her.
