Actor Chitra's husband arrested for allegedly abetting her suicide
Days after the death of Tamil television actor Chitra in Chennai, her husband Hemanth has been arrested for allegedly abetting her suicide. He has been booked under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Chitra was found dead at a hotel on December 9, after which her family alleged foul play and demanded a fair investigation. Here are more details on this.
Hemanth and Chitra had gotten married a few months ago. He had been angry with the late actor for her intimate scene in a TV serial. "Hemanth did not like a scene she had enacted on TV. On the day she died, he had also pushed her," Assistant Commissioner of Police told NDTV. Earlier, Chitra's mother had also accused Hemanth of beating her daughter.
On December 9, Chitra, 29, was found dead in a room at a hotel in Chennai's Nazarethpettai area. The hotel manager called the police around 2:30 am and informed them about the incident. Initial investigations have ruled her death suicide and the scars on her face as caused by herself. Meanwhile, Hemanth was allegedly the last person she had spoken to.
A police official has told The New Indian Express, "Based on the outcome of the investigation carried out for the past few days, we have slapped Section 306 of the IPC against Hemanth."
Hemanth was arrested following questioning for several days. Apart from him, Chitra's friends and colleagues on the sets were also interrogated by the police. As per Hemanth's statement, he had found Chitra dead after the hotel staff opened the room using a duplicate key. Since Chitra died in less than seven years of marriage, a Revenue Divisional Officer is also separately investigating the case.
In case you need help or know someone who does, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counselling. Their number is 022 2754 6669 (24 hours). You can also contact the Hyderabad-based Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +918322252525. Sneha India Foundation, which works 24X7, can be contacted at +914424640050. Vandrevala Foundation has trained counselors, and their number is 18602662345.
