The family of Simran Singh, the Instagram influencer, actress and former radio jockey who committed suicide in her Gurgaon apartment on December 25, say they believe “work-related stress” and depression were “overwhelming”.
Speaking to Indian Express over phone, her father Jaswinder Singh said, “My daughter was stressed at work for a long time. He used to talk to his mother and me about the depression that was weighing on him.”
According to the police, Simran was found dead in her rented house in Gurugram, and her room was locked from inside. No suicide note was found.
Her mother, Sony Singh, said Simran had been taking anti-depressants for the past few years.
Jaswinder said that the family did not want an investigation into his death because they did not believe that foul play was involved. “He had no problem with anyone and he never told us about such a thing. He always talked about the work-related stress he had… So, we didn’t want to investigate. But we were told that the police will investigate his death. Things will become clear after the postmortem report.”
Dismissing the speculations on social media about his friendship with the YouTuber, Jaswinder said, “Social media makes all kinds of stories. It’s wrong reporting, that’s why we avoided talking to anyone in Jammu – we have not given any statement… All these are speculations.”
Gurgaon police said they found no evidence of foul play in connection with his death. “He lived in a three-storey building in Sector 47 with five or six friends. One of his friends who lived on the same floor was the one who first found him in the room and took him to Park Hospital. From there, a call came in about his death,” said a police statement.
On December 25, Simran, who had more than 7,62,000 followers on Instagram, where she described herself as “Jammu ki Dhadkan”, was supposed to return home, Jaswinder said. He had an interview scheduled for a Hindi serial in Mumbai on December 27. “Also from January 1, he was supposed to start shooting for a Punjabi film in Chandigarh… He told me that he will come home on December 25 and tell us. his plans for the future,” he said.
Simran’s mother said she made a video call to her parents on December 24, the day before her death. “We talked for an hour. He looked depressed,” said Sony Singh.
“He used to talk and often discussed with me about things related to work. He used to write and content… I saw him struggling to find the right words… He used to call me every day between 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm… During our conversations, he used to speak normally and he was like that at home too. . But when he was angry, he was very angry. He could not control his anger,” said his mother.
Jaswinder said Simran started working as a radio jockey with Radio Mirchi at the age of 21. “After a few years, he quit in 2022. He was very popular in Jammu, known as Jammu Ki Dhadkan,” he said.
“After quitting as RJ, he started doing freelance work and kept getting different offers, be it television series or movies. He used to do wheelies – sometimes all night and sleep during the day,” said Jaswinder.
According to Sony, Simran struggled to decide whether to accept roles in TV shows or wait for film roles. “He was confused because some directors told him that if he acted in a series, they would not take him in films,” said Sony.
The family said that on the night of December 24, his friends threw him a party as he planned to go home to Jammu the next day.
“He went to bed at 6 in the morning, but in the afternoon his friends didn’t hear him, they knocked on the door. When they didn’t answer, they informed the police,” said his mother.
Simran’s maternal grandfather, Joga Singh, remembered her as a “promiscuous” girl from childhood. “He was a talkative person when he was studying. After entering college, I realized that he wanted to achieve something big. He got RJ’s job and made a name for himself, which was an achievement in itself at such a young age. Our whole family was proud of him,” she said.
His last service was held on Friday afternoon.
A former colleague from his DJ days recalled, “He was energetic and had a different kind of spark about him. He was very dedicated to his work.”
She last posted a reel on Instagram on December 13, writing, “Just a girl giggling endlessly in her dress, taking in the ocean”. The reel showed her frolicking on the beach in a peach dress.
It was his Instagram photos that made him stand out beyond his time as RJ, said one colleague.
He then moved to Chandigarh and then to Gurgaon, where he started working with brands and interviewing celebrities, a colleague said.
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and her father and National Congress chief Farooq Abdullah expressed grief over Simran’s death, offering condolences to her family, friends and “many fans”.
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