Bharati Veerath (40) — who was found dead in her house at Sanjay Nagar on Monday evening — was being physically abused by her roommate, according to a few close friends, said the police.
Ms. Veerath was the first woman in India to have signed up with taxi aggregator Uber. Her body was found when her neighbours forced open the house door after being alerted by a team of workmen who had arrived at the house to install a gas connection.
After speaking to her friends and family, a senior police officer investigating the case said depression may have forced her to kill herself.
“We are trying to analyse her call record details,” said Additional Commissioner of Police Sharath Chandra. Two phones have been recovered from the house. One had no messages in it, while the other was locked.
Ms. Veerath’s body was brought to M.S. Ramaiah Hospital for autopsy, and she was cremated later at Hebbal crematorium by her elder sister Sarala. In her statement to the police, Ms. Sarala said she had received a phone call from Ms. Veerath in January.
Bharati was
a decent person. She was a helpful, proactive member of the LGBT community.
Guru Kiran,Bharati Veerath's neighbour
One phone has been checked and there were no messages.
The other phone
is locked.
Sharath Chandra,Addl. Commissioner of Police
Bharati Veerath was the first woman in India to have signed up with taxi aggregator Uber
