San Rechal, a former Miss Puducherry model, has committed suicide by overdosing on pills at her home while undergoing treatment for kidney issues. She also left behind a suicide note at her home in Karamani Kuppam in Puducherry.

Rechal, 26, succumbed to kidney failure on July 12 at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) Government Hospital after a prolonged battle, according to OneIndia.

According to the investigations, it is said that Rechal consumed over 50 blood pressure tablets on June 5. She was hospitalised soon after that. Rechal had also left behind a suicide note, which said that no one was responsible for her death.

Police have suggested that she might have been under mental stress due to financial problems and debt. According to officials, she had also sold or pledged most of her jewellery. Before she committed suicide, she had asked her father for financial help. Her father had turned her down, saying he had to care for his son.

Despite the note, he possible cause for her suicide is still under speculation. The Puducherry police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.

Rechal, whose birth name was Shankara Priya, had challenged beauty stereotypes in the fashion industry. She had held many titles such as Miss Puducherry (2020), Miss Best Attitude (2019) and Miss Dark Queen Tamil Nadu (2019). She was also the second runner-up for the Miss Africa Golden India competition in 2023.

Apart from beauty pageants, she also used to mentor and train models and had a fan base on social media. She had used her platform to question the lack of diverse representation in Indian cinema and fashion. She had also spoken about the discrimination faced by dark-skinned women.

Rachel’s death has led to online discussions on the industry’s standard, mental health and the stigma associated with being dark skinned in India.