Gautam Vora, who has been untraceable since the suicide of supermodel Viveka Babajee, confided in his close friend, garment merchant Viren Shah, on Sunday morning.
Confirming the development, Mr Shah said, “I had a word with Mr Vora this morning. Although I am not at the liberty to say where he is, Mr Vora told me that he is consulting his lawyers before taking any further steps.”
Mr Shah said that he has known the Vora family for nearly 25 years, and he also knew Viveka after she starred in an ad campaign for his garments showroom Roopam, eight years ago.
“Mr Vora and Viveka knew each other for just over two months, and that is hardly enough time for anyone to get into a relationship. He did say that he had visited her the day before the suicide, but only as a friend. He will be contacting the police as soon as he has obtained legal advice,” Mr Shah added.
Further, a detailed study of Viveka’s diary has led the police to believe that she had fallen in love with Mr Vora too soon.
However, Mr Vora’s view of the situation is not yet clear. The diary also makes references to Viveka’s former boyfriend Kartik Jobanputra, and the failed business venture she had started with him, the police said.
The police also said that one of the last calls from Viveka’s cellphone had been to Mr Vora. “When we called his number on the night of the suicide, he admitted to visiting her residence before the suicide. However, he was untraceable the next day,” said an officer with the Khar police station.
Meanwhile, several lawyers have said that Viveka’s diary entries, which have references to Mr Vora, are hardly enough evidence against him. The last entry in Viveka’s diary, which is now in the custody of the Khar police, was, “You killed me, Gautam.”