Mumbai: A youth icon in Gorakhpur with an annual package of Rs 3 lakh and experience of flying across countries within a short time, Srishti Tuli, a 24-year-old pilot with Air India, died in the early hours of 25 November, her high-flying career cut short abruptly.
Srishti died by suicide in her Mumbai apartment, allegedly after a fight with her boyfriend, Aditya Pandit (27). Suspecting foul play, her family has demanded strict punishment for Pandit, who is currently in police custody on charges of abetment of suicide under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Srishti’s uncle Vivek Tuli told ThePrint that Srishti was a talented and mentally strong woman who spoke with her mother on a video call the same night, appearing cheerful and informing her family that she had a flight the next day.
“She was a pilot, not an air hostess. They have to undergo training before flight. Every week, they have to get a fit-to-fly test. Only then do they get to fly. So, what happened so suddenly that she would take such an extreme step?” Vivek Tuli asked.
Srishti belonged to a family of Army veterans and police personnel. According to the family, she was independent and a quiet and polite woman who, as the first woman pilot from Gorakhpur, received a youth icon award this year from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
“Our family has sacrificed lives for the country. My father was in the Army and fought wars for the country in 1967 and 1971. Unfortunately, he did not survive the ’71 war. Even my grandfather was with the Punjab Police. We have given so much. And if we do not get justice, how can the common man hope to get it?” Vivek Tuli said.
However, defence lawyer Ambuj Shukla told ThePrint, “This is an entirely false story. Whatever case they are trying to make is not true.”
The police investigating the case are trying to recover some deleted messages on Aditya’s phone that they have sent to the forensics. They have sought further custody of Aditya from the court, saying they need to retrieve deleted WhatsApp chats between him and Srishti from his phone. According to police sources, there could have been monetary transactions between Aditya and Srishti, and they, hence, need to interrogate Pandit.
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What happened that fateful night
From Gorakhpur, Srishti had been staying at a rented apartment in Mumbai since June 2023. She completed her commercial pilot (CPL) training in 2023, and within three months, she got placed as a pilot with Air India in June 2023.
Srishti’s uncle told ThePrint that she was flying international routes, too.
“Ours is a joint family. When Srishti completed her training and got placed with Air India, she got the option to fly her family on her first flight. Since I was the head of the family and quite close to her, she chose me over her parents. I sat on her first flight,” Vivek Tuli recalled.
According to the preliminary investigation, Srishti and Aditya argued on 24 November before Aditya left for Delhi at roughly 1 am. He was en route to Delhi in his car when Srishti called him, saying that she would “end her life”. Aditya, police said, rushed to Mumbai and found the door of her flat locked from inside.
According to the FIR, Vivek Tuli, the complainant, said that he came to know about Srishti’s demise through his daughter and Srishti’s cousin, Rashi, on 25 November morning.
“I got the number of Urvi Panchal, Srishti’s friend, from Rashi. On contacting her, she handed over the phone to Aditya Pandit,” Vivek Tuli told the police according to the FIR, a copy of which ThePrint has accessed. “Aditya told me that since Srishti did not pick up the calls, he went to her house. She did not open the door, so he forced it open with the help of a locksmith and found her hanging in her room. He immediately took her to the SevenHills Hospital, where she was declared dead,” Vivek Tuli said.
However, speaking to ThePrint, Vivek Tuli questioned why Pandit opened the door before informing the police or any security guard. He added she had a data cable on her neck. “There is no caste angle involved but pure jealousy. He would try to control her,” Vivek Tuli said, discussing the relationship between Srishti and Aditya.
Srishti and Aditya met roughly two years ago while she was doing her CPL training. Although Aditya tried to complete his CPL, he could not and failed the tests, Vivek Tuli told ThePrint.
“Although they were in a relationship, I do not think it was a serious relationship as my daughter, Rashi, told me that Srishti used to tell Aditya that she would talk about them at our home only after Aditya became a pilot. Since she had a good career and Aditya was still struggling to get his commercial licence, Srishti had not formally introduced Aditya to us. And he would always be upset with her over this—’why would you not tell your parents about us’,” Vivek Tuli told ThePrint.
According to the FIR, Vivek Tuli noted certain instances demonstrating that the relationship between Srishti and Aditya was not smooth, based on what Rashi told him.
In November 2023, Rashi, Srishti, and Aditya were headed to Delhi in Vivek Tuli’s car to shop. However, they broke out into an argument over where they could shop. Aditya was insistent that they go where he would take them.
“Aditya spoke to Srishti in foul language in front of Rashi and started yelling at Srishti. During this, he even banged our car—for which he did not have any remorse,” Vivek wrote in his complaint.
In another instance, Rashi prepared dinner for Srishti, Aditya and other friends sometime in March 2024. “Srishti was a foodie and loved her non-vegetarian food,” Vivek Tuli told ThePrint.
However, Vivek Tuli further wrote that Aditya “started yelling at her (Srishti), saying ‘you know I do not eat non-vegetarian food’ and ‘you also need to quit eating non-vegetarian food’ and then took Srishti away from the party”. “He later took her to a veg stall. But this was not the reason why she died by suicide. This was just one of the incidents that happened,” Srishti’s uncle added.
In the FIR, Vivek Tuli also mentioned how Aditya once left Srishti outside on the road and called Rashi to inform her about it, and Rashi later dropped Srishti at her home. “But Srishti used to tolerate all this because she loved him,” the uncle wrote in the FIR.
Some of Srishti’s friends told Vivek Tuli that Aditya had been upset with Srishti over the past few days. Aditya wanted Srishti to attend his sister’s engagement. However, since she had flight commitments, she could not.
“He argued with her and blocked her from his phone contacts. He did not speak to her for the next 10-12 days. And because of this, Srishti was very disturbed. And she was not interested in anything,” Vivek Tuli’s complaint mentioned.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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