Model in death fall had claimed sexual assault

Sahar Daftary, from Brentford, died in the fall from the 12th floor balcony of businessman Rashid Jamil's Manchester flat on Saturday.

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said: "Police received a report of sexual assault in May 2008. An investigation was launched but the victim refused to co-operate further."

Mr Jamil, who has been branded a womaniser by Miss Daftary's family after he wed the 23-year-old in an Islamic ceremony while still married, was arrested on suspicion of murder but was later released on bail.

A close friend of Miss Daftary, who asked not to be named, said: "Sahar went to the police about six months ago after she split with Rashid. She thought she was being followed and walked into a police station near the apartment in Salford Quays to lodge a complaint.

"He was very possessive of her and she said that he told her that he had people watching her."

Miss Daftary had been in Mr Jamil's home city of Manchester for work but was persuaded to go to his flat after he offered her an Islamic divorce.

Her sister Mariya Massumi, 34, said Miss Daftary had previously tried to get Mr Jamil to sign divorce papers but he had not agreed.

Ms Massumi said: "On the way up to Manchester, Sahar was arguing with Rashid on the phone but then he acted nicely and promised to sign the divorce papers."

The family, having released pictures of Miss Daftary's marriage to Mr Jamil at the Holiday Inn in Brentford last December, now claim the union was never registered.

Within weeks Miss Daftary discovered that Mr Jamil, 33, had a "wife" in Manchester, 29-year-old Narissa Amjad, who was expecting their second child. It is not known whether their marriage was registered officially.

He said he wanted to be with Miss Daftary despite his "marriage" and she agreed to move into his flat.

But when it became clear he was staying with Ms Amjad Miss Daftary ended the relationship.

She travelled to Manchester last weekend for a fashion show and decided to collect belongings from Mr Jamil's flat after he had agreed to the divorce.

After the fashion show police received a call from Mr Jamil requesting assistance. But by the time they arrived Miss Daftary had suffered fatal injuries in her 150ft fall.

Miss Daftary's family, originally from Afghanistan, said she had been planning to fly to Dubai with friends for New Year. They did not believe she would have killed herself.

Mr Jamil is thought to have first had an arranged marriage in Pakistan which ended in divorce.