Masterchef finalist and husband ‘found dead in murder-suicide weeks after coronavirus forced new restaurant to close’
A MASTERCHEF finalist and her husband were found dead in what is believed to be a murder-suicide just weeks after they were forced to close their restaurant due to Covid-19.
The bodies of Garima Kothari, chef and owner of Nukkad – a restaurant in New Jersey – and Manmohan Mall were discovered on Sunday morning.
Mrs Kothari, 35, who gained fame on MasterChef India in 2010, was found dead at the couple’s luxury apartment at around 7.15am, having suffered trauma to her upper body, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.
The autopsy by the Regional Medical Examiner showed the cause of Kothari’s death was a result of “multiple upper body injuries and the manner of death has been ruled homicide”, Ms Suarez said.
The chef was approximately five months pregnant when she was found unresponsive in her apartment on Christopher Columbus Drive in Jersey City, the Medical Examiner determined.
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The body of Manmohan Mall was pulled from the Hudson River shortly after 8am on Sunday, when police responded to reports of a possible suicide attempt, News India Times reports.
The cause and manner of death of the 37-year-old man is still pending with the Regional Medical Examiner, Ms Suarez said.
Hudson County Prosecutor’s office said: “The Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit is actively investigating this case with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department.
“While it appears at this time that these deaths are the result of a murder-suicide, the final determination is still pending the findings of the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.”
Mrs Kothari was formerly an investment banker in India before switching careers to become a chef, placing in the top 15 in MasterChef India in 2010, Too Fab reports.
She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, then moved to New York where she became an event manager, working with celebrities such as the Clinton family, Melinda Gates, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cher and Deepak Chopra.
Mrs Kothari opened her “Indian soul food” restaurant in February this year, but was forced to close it at the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, by April 19, the MasterChef finalist announced on Facebook that the restaurant would be open for pick-ups and delivery orders.
She also said she would be donating meals to Jersey City Medical Center staff and asked her followers to donate for the cause.
Mrs Kothari added: “I would so appreciate the support of the community at this point of time.
“Existence in silo is not possible, hence I feel compelled to stay open & support my skeletal staff & be able to pay some fixed expenses.
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“I completely understand the need to feel safe & secure when it comes to food- which is why, my staff & I have ensured a complete sanitation of premises & we are following the CDC guidelines of operations.
“So, whenever you are feeling like picking up or getting a food delivery, think of Nukkad.”
Mall was a graduate of India Institute of Technology, who moved to the US to pursue his masters degree in financial engineering at Columbia University.
The complete findings on the deaths are still pending.
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