Was Training for ‘Miss India’ but Fate Had Other Plans: Family of Kerala Model

The police believe the Kerala models died in an accident, but the family suspects there is more to the case.

If Ansi Kabeer had been alive, she would be writing the GATE exam on 30 November. If she were alive, she would be busy juggling modelling assignments, late-night shifts, while following a strict regime to train for the ‘Miss India’ contest.

Ansi was ambitious and “wanted it all,” but her dreams were cut quite short.

“It has been nearly a month and as I speak to you, I can see all her books, files, diaries just strewn all over. I want to show you all the person she was but I have not yet gathered the strength to go through her things, because then I will have to accept the reality….”, said Ansi’s father Kabeer before trailing off.

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Former Miss Kerala Ansi Kabeer, First Runner-up Anjana Killed in Road Accident

On 1 November, the former Miss Kerala Ansi Kabeer and Miss Kerala 2019 first runner-up Anjana Shajan died in a car accident in Chakkaraparambu, Kochi.

A co-passenger in the car, Muhammed Aashiq succumbed to injuries later. The police arrested the lone survivor of the car crash Abdul Rahman for the incident under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC.

‘Ansi Was Our Only Child, Our Only Hope’

Ansi Kabeer was born in 1996 in Alamcode, Thiruvananthapuram. She pursued her BTech ECE from the Marian engineering college, Kazhakoottam, Thiruvananthapuram.

Her stint with modelling began in college and then her mother urged her to participate in Grihalakshmi magazine's ‘Face of Kerala’ contest. She then participated in the Miss Malabar pageant and was declared the first runner-up.

In the same year, 2019, she got a campus placement offer and began working at Infosys.

During an interview to a local channel, she said, "I am the only girl who is yet to get married in our family and girls younger than me have become mothers. It is as though marriage and bringing up kids are the only purposeful things in life. The reason why I decided to take part in the pageants is to influence other girls and help them believe in themselves.”

She won the Miss Kerala pageant in 2019 and was crowned Miss South India in 2021.

Ironically, Ansi’s last post on her Instagram account is a video of her enjoying a walk in nature with the caption, “It's time to go.”

Her father told The Quint that she had been studying hard for the CAT and GATE exams. “She was also preparing for the Miss India contest. She had a strict regime for workout, fitness, diet, prayers, sleep time, even the hours she will use her phone. She had made meticulous plans for her future. There are time-tables stuck all over the room and I can't believe all this has gone to waste. She wanted to go to the United Kingdom to do her MBA and then work,” he added.

“She is our only child. Our only hope. And now fate took her away.”

Kabeer, Ansi’s Father to The Quint

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A Rising Star Extinguished

Anjana Shajan was born in 1995 and hailed from Kerala's Thrissur. She pursued her medical education from KMCT Ayurveda Medical College and post graduation from Kerala University of Health and Science.

In 2019, she was the first runner-up of the 'Miss Kerala' beauty pageant. She was honoured with the ‘Miss Photogenic’ and ‘Miss Beautiful Smile’ titles too.

In 2019, she made her film debut with the movie ‘Sivan Ceepee’ directed by Kammal.

In 2020, she began working at the MCT Medical College Hospital in Manashery, Kerala.

Her last television appearance was in an advertisement for Kalyan Silks sarees, with popular actor Prithviraj.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ansi Kabeer (@ansi_kabeer)

Anjana’s brother Arjun said that on the day of the accident, she had sent a voice message to her mother saying that she was spending time outside in the company of Ansi Kabeer and that she would return home only the next day. He also appealed to the media to not share false information.

Brushing aside rumours, he clarified with reporters on Monday that his sister had refused offers of liquor at the party they attended, which was apparent from the CCTV visuals of the hotel after the DJ party concluded at 10.43 pm.

According to visuals shared by the police, his sister was dancing at the party and even after she came out of the hall, she didn’t look distressed. Arjun stated that his sister was against taking liquor even at home.

The family members of the two women have lodged complaints with the Kochi city police commissioner seeking an inquiry to unravel the mystery behind their death.