Dead researcher was in depression: Friend

Bhubaneswar: A B.Tech student in Nagpur, who watched his married friend Subhalaxmi Acharya hang herself during their video call on Tuesday night, told police that she was in a depression following an altercation with another friend of hers. However, the exact motive of her suicide is still unknown.
Her B Tech friend claimed she cried inconsolably and told him about her mental agony during the video call.
According to his statement, she was upset after being "cheated" by one of her close friends. When she told him that she would commit suicide, he tried to dissuade her.
She did not disconnect the video call and asked him to watch her die. The B Tech student said he immediately disconnected the call and rang up her brother and police to prevent her from committing suicide, said an officer of Mancheswar police station.
Police said they are verifying the authenticity of the B Tech student's statement. "He is unable to tell the name of the person with whom she was upset with. We are trying to find out the exact reason that drove her to end her life. We are also confused as to why she wanted him to watch her die during the video call," the officer said.
DCP (Bhubaneswar) Satyabrata Bhoi said police are investigating the case from all angles.
"We will examine all aspects to ascertain the cause of her death. Her post-mortem report is awaited. Prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide. If she was forced to commit suicide after being cheated by someone, we will arrest him or her," Bhoi said.
Police attributed her depression to personal or family disputes.
Thirty-four-year-old Acharya was pursuing her research in advanced materials technology (AMT) department of the premier Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) here since March 2013, police said.
On Wednesday, the department held a condolence meeting and mourned her death. She was married in 2005 and had separated from her husband for the past few years, police said. She has an eight-year-old son, who stays with his grandparents in Cuttack.