MUMBAI: The Andheri Court on Friday extended the police custody of Delhi resident Aditya Pandit (27) until Monday.
Pandit was arrested by the Powai police in connection with the abetment of suicide case of Air India pilot Srishti Tuli (25), who was found dead at her rented house near Marol Police Quarters in Mumbai on November 25.
The police sought an extension of Pandit’s custody to gather more evidence and retrieve deleted WhatsApp chats between him and Srishti from his mobile phone. Investigators believe the chats may provide crucial insights into the events leading to her death.
According to the Powai police, Tuli had made a video call to Pandit shortly before taking her own life.
Authorities said she died following an argument with Pandit.
His police custody, which began four days ago, was extended based on his alleged failure to report Tuli’s threats and his decision to enter her locked house without involving law enforcement.
“Pandit’s arrest stems from his failure to alert the police about Tuli’s threats and his decision to access her locked residence without police involvement.
His position as the last person in contact with the deceased has raised suspicion about his potential involvement,” the police stated.
Before Pandit left for Delhi, Tuli had reportedly threatened self-harm. When he ignored her warnings, she allegedly made her intentions clear during a video call.
“Pandit was arrested after learning that he has concealed information by deleting communications with Tuli. When questioned about the deleted messages, he stated he had threatened self-harm if she died. Police are sceptical of his explanation and are working with forensic experts to recover the deleted content,” a police officer said.
Investigators also found 10-11 phone conversations and numerous missed calls from Tuli on Pandit’s phone during the time he claimed to be returning to stop her actions.
“Pandit’s mobile has been seized and sent to FSL to recover the deleted data,” officials confirmed.
Tuli, who lived near Marol Police Camp in Andheri (East), was found unresponsive in her home and was later pronounced dead at Seven Hills Hospital in Marol.
Initial investigations suggest she was experiencing mental distress due to alleged harassment by Pandit, who had failed to clear pilot qualification exams.
“After Tuli returned from work on Sunday, she argued with Pandit, who then left for Delhi around 1am. Following this, Tuli contacted him, expressing her intentions. Pandit reportedly returned to Mumbai, found her door locked, engaged a locksmith instead of calling the police, and discovered her unresponsive. He then took her to the hospital,” the police added.