Advocate Sarita Khanchandani Suicide Case: Activist’s Husband Writes 9 Emails Alleging Delay In Arrest Of Prime Accused
· Free Press Journal
Thane, May 16: Eight months after environmental advocate Sarita Khanchandani allegedly died by suicide after jumping from a residential building in Ulhasnagar, her husband has written at least nine emails to police officials alleging laxity in the investigation and demanding the arrest of prime accused Jiya Pradeep Goplani, who continues to remain untraceable despite not receiving any interim protection from court.
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The emails were addressed primarily to the Vitthalwadi Police Station and later escalated to senior officials, including the Commissioner of Police, Thane City, the Director General of Police, Maharashtra, and the Inspector General of Police, Konkan Range.
According to the family, despite repeated representations and the passage of several months since the FIR was registered on September 4, 2025, the accused has neither been arrested nor joined the investigation.
Anticipatory bail plea pending before court
The matter is currently pending before the Kalyan Sessions Court, where Goplani had filed an anticipatory bail application in March 2026. The court has not granted any interim relief to the accused and the matter has now been adjourned to June 12.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Sarita’s husband, Advocate Purushottam Khanchandani, alleged serious lapses in the investigation.
“We have addressed nine emails to the police department seeking the arrest of the prime accused, but we fail to understand why it is so difficult for the police to trace Jiya’s location. The investigating report submitted by the Vitthalwadi police before the court contains no substantial details beyond what is already mentioned in the FIR,” he said.
Family questions failure to trace accused
He further questioned why the accused had allegedly failed to cooperate with investigators despite not receiving judicial protection.
“Despite the fact that no interim relief has been granted by any court, the police have failed to bring the accused for investigation. She has also not appeared before the court to pursue her bail plea. If she is innocent, why is she trying to evade the investigation?” he asked.
In one of the emails sent to the police department under the subject line, “Immediate Arrest of Accused - Jiya Pradeep Goplani in light of non grant of ANY interim relief by Hon’ble Sessions Court, Kalyan,” Khanchandani alleged that searches conducted by the police at locations linked to the accused, including residences of relatives in Nashik and Gujarat, had failed to locate her.
Family alleges accused evading investigation
The letter also claimed that the accused’s mobile phone has remained unreachable and her social media accounts inactive. According to the complainant, the accused has neither appeared before the investigating officer nor submitted any documents in connection with the probe.
“The non-arrest is worrisome and highlights laxity in investigation,” the letter alleges, further claiming that the accused may be receiving assistance from co-accused persons or their associates in evading arrest.
Khanchandani also alleged that despite numerous written communications and oral follow-ups, not a single email sent by the family has received a response from the police department.
“Police are deliberately and intentionally not arresting the accused, showing a lack of seriousness in a case involving a whistleblower and activist who selflessly dedicated her entire life to the betterment of society,” he alleged.
Police say efforts underway to trace accused
FPJ contacted investigating officer H.M. Kulkarni of Vitthalwadi police, who said the investigation was progressing appropriately and efforts were underway to trace the accused.
“It is a fact that the prime accused has not been given any kind of interim protection by the court. However, the accused’s phone number has been deactivated from the day the FIR was registered. The moment we locate Jiya, we shall arrest her instantly,” he said.
Suicide note allegedly names five accused
Advocate Sarita Khanchandani, known locally for her environmental activism and legal interventions in civic and environmental matters, allegedly died by suicide after jumping from Roma Apartment in Ulhasnagar in August 2025.
The FIR names five accused persons, including local politician Dhananjay Borade, Ulhas Falke, Shivani Falke, advocate Raj Chandwani, and Jiya Pradeep Goplani.
The complainant has alleged that the accused persons mentally harassed Sarita Khanchandani and drove her to take the extreme step.
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Vitthalwadi police had earlier informed the court that a suicide note allegedly written by the deceased was recovered during the investigation, in which all five accused persons were allegedly named as being responsible for her death.
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