Pratyusha Banerjee's death case: Boyfriend acquitted after 10 years
What's the story
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday discharged actor-producer Rahul Raj Singh from the alleged abetment-to-suicide case of his former girlfriend, television actor Pratyusha Banerjee. The decision comes a decade after Banerjee's tragic death in 2016 at the age of 24. Justice Shivkumar G Dige's ruling was heavily influenced by the couple's last recorded phone call, where Singh was heard trying to dissuade Banerjee from taking any drastic action.
Legal proceedings
Singh was booked under multiple IPC sections
Singh's discharge application was earlier rejected by the Dindoshi Sessions Court in August 2023, after police filed a chargesheet in the case in 2018. He had challenged the same in the High Court.
The actor-producer had been booked under sections related to abetment of suicide, assault, and criminal intimidation following Banerjee's mother's complaint at the Bangur Nagar police station.
The allegations against him included mental and physical harassment.
Defense strategy
Evidence did not meet criteria for abetment, argued defense
Singh's lawyers, senior advocate Aabad Ponda and advocate Shreyansh Mithare, argued that the evidence collected did not meet the criteria for abetment.
They pointed out the recorded conversation between Singh and Banerjee before her death as a major piece of evidence.
In the call, Singh was heard trying to stop the Balika Vadhu actor from taking any drastic action. They used to live together.
Prosecution's stance
Prosecution relied on witness statements and testimonies
Banerjee's mother had alleged that Singh's behavior and harassment had led to her daughter's death.
The actor had died at her Mumbai residence by suicide around 4:00pm on April 1, 2016. After learning about it that evening, Banerjee's mother lodged a complaint against Singh on April 5, 2016.
In his defence, Singh argued that he was the one who tried to save Banerjee by giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and taking her to the hospital, as witnessed by neighbors.
Industry impact
Nearly a decade of legal battle over Banerjee's death
Banerjee rose to fame with her role as Anandi in the popular television series Balika Vadhu. Her untimely death at 24 sent shockwaves through the television industry and sparked a protracted legal battle over the circumstances leading to it.
Singh was discharged after nearly 10 years of legal proceedings.