No foul play suspected in actor Chitra's death, probe points to suicide: Chennai police

CHENNAI: The Chennai police on Thursday said they don't suspect any foul play in actor K Chitra's death, adding that their investigation points to a clear case of suicide.

Chitra, famous for her role in the TV series 'Pandian Stores', was found dead inside a hotel room in Nazarathpet in the early hours of Wednesday. Police said Chitra was staying with her husband Hemanth in the hotel for the past four days since it was close to the shooting spot.

A senior police officer privy to the investigations said, "Inquiries confirmed that Hemanth stepped out of the room after which Chitra killed herself. The marks found on her chin and jawline are because of the saree used for hanging and nail scratches of first responders who tried to loosen the noose." He said such marks are common while attempting to remove the noose.

He said the doctors who performed the autopsy also said that it appears only to be a case of suicide. "Only after a thorough investigation we can come to a final conclusion," said a senior police officer.

The death of the actor had been the subject of non-stop coverage on Tamil TV news channels since Wednesday morning.

The body of the television actor was handed over to her family after the postmortem on Thursday.

The Nazarethpet police had registered a case under Section 174 (3) of CrPC and an RDO inquiry was also underway since the deceased was recently married.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)