Puducherry, 14 July

San Rachel, a Puducherry-based model and a powerful voice against colourism in India’s beauty industry, allegedly died by suicide on Sunday at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer). She was 26.

According to police sources, Rachel had allegedly consumed an overdose of sleeping pills on 5 July. Her condition deteriorated, and she was initially treated at the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital, later moved to a private hospital in Moolakulam, and finally admitted to Jipmer. She died on Sunday. A post-mortem is scheduled for Monday.

A suicide note reportedly recovered from her father's residence stated that no one should be held responsible for her death. Officials confirmed that a Tahsildar-level inquiry is underway to examine the circumstances surrounding her death.

Rachel, who lost her mother early in life, was raised by her father, D Gandhi. With his support, she ventured into modelling and gained recognition despite initial rejections linked to her skin tone. Her experiences shaped her activism, and she became a leading advocate for inclusivity in fashion.

She won several beauty titles including Miss Dark Queen Tamil Nadu (2019), Miss Best Attitude (2019), Miss Puducherry (2020/2021), and Queen of Madras (2022 and 2023). In 2023, she was the runner-up in Miss Africa Golden India and had represented India in fashion events across Europe and Africa.

Rachel also founded Rose Noire Fashion Grooming, a platform mentoring aspiring models. Recently married and living in Puducherry, she often used social media to encourage self-love and challenge entrenched beauty norms.