PUDUCHERRY: San Rachel, a 26-year-old popular model and social media influencer from Puducherry, died by suicide on Saturday night (July 13) at JIPMER, weeks after allegedly consuming an overdose of blood pressure pills.
The tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the fashion and influencer community, where she was known for her bold stance against colourism and her outspoken advocacy for inclusivity in the beauty industry.
Born as Sankarapriya, San Rachel had married fashion designer Satya in June 2024.
According to police sources, she was reportedly under severe financial and personal stress over the past few months. Investigators revealed that she had consumed around 50 BP tablets during a visit to her father’s house in Karamanikuppam on June 5. Though initially rushed to government general hospital, she left after two days without completing treatment. Her condition deteriorated over the following days, prompting her husband to admit her at a private hospital in Moolakulam. After several days of treatment , she was finally taken to JIPMER, where she succumbed on Saturday night.
Police recovered four suicide notes addressed to her father, husband, and mother-in-law.
In these, San Rachel reportedly absolved her family members of any blame. She apologized for withholding the truth about financial matters, particularly a Rs 6 lakh loan she had taken through the wife of her husband’s friend to cover wedding expenses—without informing her husband, who believed the costs were borne by her father.
In her letter to her father, D. Gandhi, San Rachel had urged him to sell his land and repay the loan to a person referred to as “Venkat Anna.” She had been requesting financial help from him over the past year, but he had expressed his inability due to other family responsibilities.
As her death occurred within a year of marriage, a Tahsildar-level inquiry has been ordered to ascertain whether any marital issues may have contributed to her mental distress.
Police said Rachel had sold and pledged jewellery in recent months to fund her modelling and professional pursuits, further adding to her financial strain. In fact Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy has provided her with financial assistance for participating in Miss Africa Golden India contest in 2023
San Rachel rose to prominence in the modelling world for breaking stereotypes and challenging the beauty norms prevalent in the industry. She had won several accolades, including the Miss Puducherry titles in 2020 and 2022, Miss Best Attitude 2019, Miss Dark Queen Tamil Nadu 2019, Queen of Madras 2022, and placed second in the Miss Africa Golden India contest in 2023.
Widely admired for her activism against colourism, she frequently used her platform to speak against the discrimination faced by dark-skinned individuals in Indian fashion and cinema.
Her body was handed over to her father today following a postmortem examination, and the funeral was held on Monday.