KATHMANDU, JUN 12 - Nepali film actress Jyoti Khadka, aka Jessica, committed suicide on Tuesday morning. She used a shawl to hang herself from the ceiling of her bedroom.

The 23-year-old actress, whose sex-tape with comedy artist Prakash Ojha was leaked in 2001, was living with her younger brother Unique, in a rented apartment at Jhhochen in New Road. Khadka had changed her name to Jessica following the scandal.

Khadka's family members ruled out any connection between the suicide and the sex-tape scandal, as they said the scandal happened a long time ago.

“It was 10 years ago and along with the family members, she too had gotten over it,” said Yograj Khadka, Jessica's relative. According to him, Jessica was a cheerful girl and was doing good in the film industry of late. “The 2001 incident cannot be the reason behind her suicide,” he said.

Police briefly detained movie producer Baldeep Rai for his "possible connection" with Jessica's suicide.

A record of a telephonic converstion between Rai and Jessica at 2 am was found in Jessica's mobile phone. "However, as Rai's involvement could not be established, we released him after a couple of hours," police said.

At around 7 am on Tuesday, Unique called the neighbours after his attempt to wake Jessica up failed. The neighbours, who first peeped in from her room's window, saw her feet hanging in the air. They immediately called the police. Jessica's body was sent to the Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital for autopsy.

According to the police, Unique, a 10th grader at the Saraswati Boarding High School, said she used to remain depressed very often. “She sometimes used to drink alone in her room,” police quoted Unique as saying. “But she never disclosed anything to me.”

However, Unique told the Post that Jessica was "normal" until they parted for their bedrooms after dinner on Monday night. “She told me she had planned to join dance and swimming classes soon,” he said. According to him, Jessica was home for the past one week after completing shooting for a movie, Jungle love.

Neighbour Bhawani Rimal said Jessica looked "normal" when the two talked on Monday morning. “She was washing clothes while I came out of my house to leave for office,” she said.

A permanent resident of Itahari, Jessica had a troubled childhood. It is learnt that her mother left her when she was just three or four years old. She was brought up by her uncle after her father married another woman, a relative said, requesting anoymity.

Jessica has acted in around six movies, including Mero Maya Timilai, Jungle Queen, Achanak, Kasle Banayo Maya and Lucky 7. Her new movie Jungle Love, is set to release on June 22. She was also part of a TV serial Tite Kareli in 2001.

According to Unique, she was also planning to visit a producer soon for a deal for another movie.