Dead Air India pilot's family rejects suicide claim, accuses boyfriend of blackmail and murder

Vivek Tuli, the uncle of 25-year-old Srishti Tuli, the Air India pilot who was found dead in her Mumbai apartment, said on Nov 27, "It is not a suicide; it is a cold-blooded, premeditated murder."

According to him, Tuli was "a lively and bold girl" who was deeply inspired by her grandfather, a soldier who lost his life in the 1971 war.

"She wanted to be a fighter pilot, but her grandmother (daadi) did not allow her to join the armed forces. So, she said that being a commercial pilot is also wearing a uniform, and that's why she chose that option," said Vivek.

Tuli's uncle strongly disagrees with the police's claim that his niece committed suicide.

"See, Srishti was very happy at 11:30 when she called her mother and said everything was very good. She mentioned that she had just returned from a flight and had to fly again in a few days. In the CCTV footage, which the police showed me, she looked so happy going upstairs with that guy," Vivek said.

"What happened in the 15-20 minutes that she took such a drastic step? Can that really happen? She was such a happy girl, and then, just 15 minutes later, she is no more... How can that happen?" Vivek said, pointing out that professional pilots like his niece are trained to deal with extreme mental stress.

"They are very well-trained to handle pressure... They are mentally very strong. How could they be afraid of something? It is not suicide... it is a cold-blooded, planned murder," he added.

Aditya Pandit, 27, Tuli's boyfriend, discovered her body.

The police claim that early on Nov 25, Tuli called Pandit, who was traveling to Delhi by car, to inform him that she was going to kill herself.

According to Pandit, he hurried back but found Tuli's apartment door locked. After calling a locksmith and forcing the door open, Pandit and another pilot, who lived in the same building, discovered her body hanging from the ceiling.

Following accusations from Tuli's family, including claims that Pandit was extorting money, he was detained on charges of aiding and abetting suicide.

"We have managed to check only one month's bank statement so far. Around Diwali, about ₹65,000 was transferred to his family members. I am convinced that he was blackmailing her," said Vivek.

Vivek also questioned the series of events that Pandit detailed leading up to the discovery of Tuli's body, including a disagreement between the couple.

"She called at 2:30... police told me she had a video call with Aaditya Pandit," he said, citing police authorities who claim the duo spoke on video just before she allegedly took her life.

"So why didn't he (Pandit) call her back after receiving Tuli's call warning that she was about to take an extreme step? Why didn't he call his friend in the same building to check on her? Why call someone living three kilometers away? Please think about that," questioned Vivek.

Pointing out the progress made in determining that Pandit had reportedly deleted some conversations from his niece's phone, Vivek added that he had complete faith in the Mumbai Police to solve this case.

His own phone has been sent to forensic experts.

Srishti Tuli, a Gorakhpur resident, hanged herself with a data wire late at night in her unit in the Kanakia RainForest complex in Marol.

The tragic incident occurred after a fight with her boyfriend, Aaditya Pandit, who lives in Delhi.

Tuli was the first female pilot from Gorakhpur, and she was even honored by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Tuli had been residing in Mumbai for work since June of the previous year.

The couple met two years ago while doing a commercial pilot course in Delhi and started dating, according to a Powai police station official.

Before taking her life, Tuli had an argument with Pandit, after which he drove to Delhi. During the drive, Tuli called him and said she was going to end her life.

Upon hearing this, Pandit quickly returned to Mumbai, only to find the door to her flat locked from the inside, according to officials.