10 Years After Her Suicide, Balika Vadhu Actor Pratyusha Banerjee’s Ex-Boyfriend Acquitted
Bombay High Court Discharges Rahul Raj Singh in 2016 Suicide Case, Says Final Phone Conversation Did Not Establish Abetment
Nearly a decade after television actor Pratyusha Banerjee died by suicide, the Bombay High Court has discharged and acquitted her former boyfriend, actor-producer Rahul Raj Singh, in the case.
Singh had been accused of abetting Banerjee’s suicide and was booked following her death in April 2016. The court’s decision provides him relief at the pre-trial stage, meaning he will not face trial in connection with her death.
A bench of Justice Shivkumar Dige relied significantly on the couple’s final telephone conversation, recorded on April 1, 2016, shortly before Banerjee’s death.
According to the court’s observations, the conversation showed Singh attempting to dissuade Banerjee from taking an extreme step. He also told her that he had turned his car around and was travelling to meet her.
What Happened in 2016
Banerjee, best known for playing Anandi in the popular television serial Balika Vadhu, was found dead at her rented apartment in Mumbai’s Goregaon area on April 1, 2016.
Her parents had accused Singh, who was in a live-in relationship with her, of abetment to suicide, assault and mental and physical harassment.
Singh was subsequently booked for allegedly abetting her suicide. The Bombay High Court granted him anticipatory bail in July 2016.
The case continued for several years. After police filed a chargesheet in 2018, Singh approached the sessions court seeking discharge from the case. His plea was rejected, prompting him to move the Bombay High Court.
Court Examines Final Conversation
Senior advocate Aabad Ponda and advocate Shreyansh Mithare, representing Singh, argued that the final conversation between the couple was crucial to the case.
They submitted that Singh had attempted to persuade Banerjee not to take any drastic step and had indicated that he was travelling to her apartment to meet her.
The defence argued that these circumstances did not establish the ingredients required for a charge of abetment to suicide.
The conversation also showed Banerjee speaking about several people, including her parents, while discussing her distress and circumstances, according to the arguments presented before the court.
Singh’s lawyers further questioned the circumstances in which the FIR was registered, pointing to the absence of a suicide note and arguing that allowing the case to proceed would amount to an “abuse of process”.
Rahul Raj Singh Discharged From Case
After considering the arguments and the material before it, the Bombay High Court allowed Singh’s plea and discharged him from the case.
As a result, Singh will not face trial in connection with Banerjee’s death.
The case had remained in the spotlight for years because of the allegations made by Banerjee’s family and the subsequent legal proceedings against Singh.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
