Suicide rocks paan masala empire

The daughter-in-law of a pan masala baron died by suicide in Delhi on Wednesday. The victim was identified by as Deepti Chaurasia (40), daughter-in-law of the owner of Kamla Pasand Pan masala, Kamal Kishore. The police have recovered a note and diary entries indicating alleged marital discord.

According to the police, Deepti was found hanging with a scarf inside the house by her husband. He rushed her to the Safdarjung hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Police said the couple had been living in two separate houses due to ongoing

disputes. Deepti married Harpreet Chaurasia, Kamal Kishore’s son, in 2010, and the couple has a 14-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter.

Rajender Singh, Kishor’s family lawyer, dismissed the allegations. Singh said, “Whatever is being reported in the media is totally false. There is no allegation in the suicide note. She has not particularly named anyone to be responsible for this. We are cooperating with the police. We don’t know the cause of suicide.”

Meanwhile, Deepti’s family is reportedly preparing to file a complaint against abetment to suicide. Meanwhile, Rishabh, Deepti’s brother, told reporters that his sister was being physically assaulted and abused by her husband and in-laws. He also said that Harpreet had affairs.

Police have confirmed that a case has been registered at the Vasant Vihar police station, and further investigation is underway. “The police are examining all angles, including entries in the

diary and the content of the suicide note,” the police added.

The Chaurasia family is well known in the pan masala business. Kamal Kishore and his father, Kamala Kant Chaurasia, founded the Kamla Pasand brand, which now operates across Kanpur, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai.