Indian expat woman threw daughter off Sharjah building before jumping to death, say witnesses

Sharjah: New details have emerged in the deaths of an Indian expat woman and her daughter who were reportedly found dead at a residential building in Sharjah.

According to eyewitnesses and building staff, the 35-year-old mother threw her five-year-old child off the high-rise in Al Nahda area before jumping to her death.

Gulf News visited the building where the incident reportedly happened around 7.15am on Wednesday.

Shocked neigbhours said that the woman threw her daughter first before leaping off her 15^th floor apartment balcony. Since the building has six levels of parking and a gym on another floor, the victims fell from 22 floors above the ground.

The building's security guard said he heard a loud sound, rushed outside and found the bodies of the child and the woman: the child on the road, the mother on the pavement below the 32-storey tower.

He immediately informed police and the ambulance department. Authorities rushed to the spot and the police cordoned off the area until around 10.30am.

After the victims were taken away in ambulances, the scene was cleaned up and sand was spread. However, some traces remained visible even on Saturday afternoon.

Neighbours said police had visited the building the previous day following a reported family dispute.  The security guard said the husband had told him his wife had been suffering from mental health issues.

The woman's husband, who works as an aircraft resource allocation officer in Dubai, has been taken in for questioning by authorities.

According to people familiar with the family, the couple hailing from Kerala had been married for 12 years. Building management confirmed they had been living in the same apartment for over seven years.

The woman’s sister's family lived in a neighbouring apartment in the same building, while her father-in-law and brother-in-law's family are also residents of the UAE. The woman had been running an online business, according to earlier reports.

Residents described their shock and grief. The security guard recalled the little girl with sadness. Every morning, as her father dropped her at school, she would turn and wave at him. "She was so friendly with everyone in the building," he said.

Sharjah Police had earlier in the day confirmed to Gulf News that the case was registered as suicide and referred to the Public Prosecution for further investigation.

Gulf News is withholding the identities and photographs of the deceased pending the family's consent.