Odia actor Rashmirekha Ojha found dead; family suspects foul play
What's the story
Odia television actor Rashmirekha Ojha was found dead in her Bhubaneswar apartment last week (June 18). Prima facie, the police have ruled it to be a case of suicide. However, Ojha's family suspects foul play and has pointed fingers at her live-in partner named Santosh Patra. Ojha made a mark in the television space due to her work in Kemiti Kahibi Kaha. TW: Suicide.
Incident
Ojha was found hanging from the ceiling fan
Ojha, 23, hailed from Jagatsinghpur district. Per officials, she took the fatal step on June 18 and her body was found hanging from the ceiling fan of the Nayapalli apartment around 10:30pm. Reportedly, her alleged partner lived with her for over a month but had moved out a few days ago. After the postmortem, cops handed over the actor's mortal remains to her family.
Suicide note
'Baba, I'll miss you from heaven,' wrote Ojha
A senior police officer said, "Prima facie, it seems to be a case of suicide as she left behind a note stating that no one was responsible for her death." Part of the note said, "Baba [father], I'll miss you from heaven." The police have filed a case of "unnatural death" and are currently awaiting the postmortem report before proceeding with the investigation further.
Developments
Patra informed Ojha's family about her demise
Patra informed the deceased actor's family about the incident. Her father recalled, "Our calls to her on Saturday went unanswered. Later, Santosh broke the news to us." Moreover, the landlord of the apartment informed Ojha's father that the duo pretended to be a married couple, but the family had no inkling about any such development. The owner further denied suspecting anything suspicious between them.
Foul play?
'Santosh is the murderer,' voiced out Ojha's father
The 23-year-old's father believes that Patra is directly responsible for his daughter's tragic and sudden demise. Vocalizing his allegations, he said, "We had no clue about her marriage. I also have no idea who has written that purported suicide note. If both are married, then Santosh is the murderer." The grieving father has also demanded a fair probe and timely justice into the matter.
Similar cases
Several regional TV actors have died by alleged suicide recently
Ojha joined a string of TV actors who have died by alleged suicide in the recent past. In an eerily similar case from May, Bengali TV actor Pallavi Dey's body was found in her Kolkata apartment. Ten days later, another Bengali model/actor Bidisha De Majumder met with a similar fate, followed by Manjusha Neogi, who was also a close friend of De Majumder.