Transwoman model found dead in Kochi

KOCHI: Transwoman actor and model Sherin Celine Mathew (27) was found dead in an apartment in Kochi on Tuesday. Her body was found hanging from the ceiling in one of the rooms of the apartment in Chakkaraparambu near Vyttila, where she lived on rent. Other residents in the building found her body and alerted Palarivattom police around 10.30am on Tuesday.A few hormone supplements were reportedly found in her room.
Mathew, a native of Alappuzha, has been residing in Kochi for several years and was active in the modelling scene. She had also acted in some short films. She played a role in a Malayalam film, which is set to release soon. She was living alone in the apartment. Police suspect it to be a case of suicide based on preliminary investigation. But, a detailed probe was launched.
“Prima facie evidence suggests she might have committed suicide. We have registered a case of unnatural death and started further investigation. We recovered her phone from the room and found that she had made some phone calls before her death. We need to take statements from those who were in contact with her. We also need to talk to her parents and friends. We are also checking the video footage from CCTV cameras in and around the building. Autopsy report is needed for further investigation,” said police sources.
Avanthika, a transwoman and her close friend, said that the actor was depressed recently but she never revealed the reason for the same. Avanthika said love failure might be a reason for her depression. She allegedly placed a video call with a ‘person’ before her death and the police will have to find more about it, she added.
The police are also looking into the social media activity of Mathew as some of her recent posts reportedly indicated her depressed state of mind, said her friends. Avanthika said that Mathew was very passionate about her profession and she was in touch with her family, which is not common among transgenders.
The police completed the inquest formalities by noon and shifted the body to Ernakulam Government Medical College’s mortuary. The body will be released to her family after autopsy on Wednesday.