The Bombay High Court on Wednesday discharged Rahul Raj Singh, an accused in the death case of TV actress Pratyusha Banerjee. Pratyusha had shot to fame playing the character of Anandi in the TV serial Balika Vadhu. The bench led by Justice Shivkumar Dige delivered this verdict based on the final conversation that took place between Pratyusha and Rahul Raj before she hanged herself on April 1, 2016. This case dates back nearly 10 years.
24-year-old Pratyusha was found dead in her flat. Her then-boyfriend and live-in partner, actor-producer Rahul Raj Singh, had rushed her to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Pratyusha’s parents lodged a police complaint accusing Rahul of physical, mental, and financial harassment. They alleged that Pratyusha took this step due to Rahul’s harassment. Subsequently, an FIR was registered against Rahul on charges of abetment of suicide, assault, and criminal intimidation. The Dindoshi Sessions Court had rejected Rahul’s discharge plea, and the process of framing charges against him was set to proceed. Rahul then challenged this decision in the Bombay High Court.
Lawyers Abad Ponda and Shreyansh Mitthare, appearing for Rahul, argued that the final conversation with Pratyusha indicated he was trying to dissuade her from taking such a step. According to the lawyers, Rahul was on his way to meet her, and during the conversation, Pratyusha was holding others, including her parent, responsible for her situation. Taking these facts into consideration, the High Court discharged Rahul Raj Singh from the case.
Who was Pratyusha Banerjee?
Pratyusha Banerjee was born in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand on August 10, 1991. She made her Hindi television debut in 2010 when she played a grownup Anandi in the hit serial, “Balika Vadhu”. Pratyusha and two other actresses were shortlisted after having auditioned for the beloved character and the viewers were asked to vote for the one they wished to see play Anandi. Pratyusha won hands down.
Her popularity soared after Balika Vadhu and she was invited to participate in Bigg Boss 7, where she found a close friend in fellow television actor, Kamya Punjabi. The two remained friends even after their stint on the controversial reality TV show.
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