The parents of television actress Pratyusha Banerjee, who allegedly committed suicide on Friday, have told the Bangur Nagar police that they do not suspect her boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh of harassing her or driving her to suicide, police officials said on Saturday.
Pratyusha (24), best known for her role as Anandi in the popular television serial Balika Vadhu , was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her Goregaon residence at around 5 pm on Friday.
She was found by Mr Singh, who rushed her to the Kokilaben Hospital in Andheri, where she was declared dead. The Bangur Nagar police subsequently initiated investigations into the incident.
Pratyusha’s parents reached Mumbai from Jamshedpur on Saturday afternoon and went to the Siddharth Hospital in Goregaon, where Pratyusha’s body was sent for post mortem examination. They spoke briefly with the investigating team at the hospital.
“Pratyusha’s parents have told us that they enjoyed a good relationship with Rahul, and vice versa. They told us that they had no reason to suspect him and did not want to file any complaint against him,” said an officer who is part of the investigation.
The officer added, “We will later be recording detailed statements from them. We first need to record Rahul’s statement, as he was staying with her, and was the one to find the body. Everyone close to her is a bit disturbed right now. Statements from her friends in the television industry will also be recorded in the days to come.”
The police conducted an exhaustive search of Pratyusha’s house all through Friday night and did not find any suicide note. The motive behind her extreme step remains unclear as of now, the police said.
Doctors at the Siddharth Hospital completed her post mortem examination late on Saturday afternoon. Pratyusha’s parents as well as Mr Singh could not control their emotions while waiting for her body to be released. While her mother could not stop crying, her father was supported into a chair, looking blank and speechless, after exiting the mortuary.
Several actors and producers from the television industry were also seen at the hospital. Her body was subsequently taken to the Oshiwara crematorium where the last rites were performed in the presence of numerous personalities from the TV industry.
The post mortem report, received by the Bangur Nagar police late on Saturday, shows “asphyxia as the cause of death, along with ligature marks around her neck. The viscera have been preserved for chemical analysis. Rahul’s statement is currently being recorded,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone XI) Vikram Deshmane said.
Investigating officers said that Rahul Raj is being questioned about his relationship with Pratyusha and their interactions over the last seven to eight days to find out if any particular incident might have led her to take the extreme step, including any discord between the couple, Pratyusha’s professional life and her financial situation.
