Fiza Mohammed alias Anuradha Bali, whose affair and ill-fated marriage with former Haryana deputy chief minister Chander Mohan made her a celebrity, was found dead in her Mohali residence on Monday morning.
The body was highly decomposed, and police are yet to ascertain the cause of death.
Police said Fiza, a former assistant advocate general with the Punjab government, could have died four to five days back, going by the maggots that infested her body. Alarmed by a foul smell emanating from her house, Fiza’s uncle had informed the police.
Fiza, previously known as Anuradha Bali, and Chander Mohan, son of the late chief minister Bhajan Lal, converted to Islam before marrying in 2008, following a whirlwind romance. Mohan was rechristened Chand Mohammed. It was believed that the couple converted to avoid legal action for remarrying without divorcing previous spouses.
The marriage cost Mohan dearly. He was disowned by Bhajan Lal and his political career seemed over. However, the relationship soon turned sour and Mohan reportedly annulled the marriage in 2009 through an SMS that read “talak talak talak.” Estranged, Fiza sought legal recourse, but the issue fizzled out and Mohan returned to his family.
Following the fallout, Fiza slipped into depression and was under medication ever since. She had attempted suicide once before and was also booked for the same. She slipped into oblivion gradually and was living a solitary life at her three-storey house in Mohali for the last one year.
Liquor bottles and glasses were found in the bedroom where Fiza’s body was found, police said, adding that the neighbours had no clue to her whereabouts. Fiza was apparently not on good terms with her neighbours and was even arrested once last year, following an ugly spat with them. She was booked for trespassing and other offences.
Following her separation from Mohan, Fiza had launched an NGO, Fiza-e-Hind. In the run-up to the Assembly elections in Haryana in 2009, Fiza had campaigned aggressively against Bhajan Lal’s family, but failed to carve a dent in their popularity. She also participated in a reality show on national television, “Mujhe is Jangle se bachao.”
The police are investigating the role of a Panchkula-based scribe in the case as Fiza had stayed in the house of the journalist.