Pratyusha Banerjee suicide case: Court refuses to discharge actor Rahul Raj

The Dindoshi sessions court rejected actor Rahul Raj Singh's discharge plea in the abetment to suicide case of his girlfriend Pratyusha Banerjee. The court has scheduled the framing of charges against Singh on November 11. Singh claims that Banerjee was harassed by her parents, not by him.

The Dindoshi sessions court on Monday rejected the discharge plea filed by actor Rahul Raj Singh who has been booked for abetment to suicide of his girlfriend and actor Pratyusha Banerjee. Rahul contended that she was harassed by her parents and not by him.

Pratyusha Banerjee, actor

The court has scheduled the framing of charges against Singh on November 11, which will mark the beginning of the trial.

Banerjee, known for the leading role in television series Balika Vadhu, died by suicide in her rented apartment in Goregaon West on April 1, 2016. Singh was booked for allegedly abetting her suicide and the Bombay high court on July 2 that year granted him anticipatory bail. Two years later, the Bangur Nagar police in April 2018 filed a chargesheet after which the actor filed a plea for discharge.

In his discharge plea, Singh claimed that the couple was planning to get married in December 2016. However, Banerjee was “deeply disturbed and frustrated” due to “the constant interference by Soma (Banerjee’s mother) and her husband Shankar Banerjee” in her affairs.

“The loan agreements amounting to ₹10 lakh were prepared by her parents and Banerjee had just signed those documents,” Mithare claimed.

The prosecution on the other hand relied on the statement of the actor’s family members who claimed that she had complained about Singh and showed them injury marks caused in the assault by him.

Mithare countered, saying it was hearsay. “Banerjee was an educated woman. She had approached the police in the case of her previous relationship wherein the guy had abused her. Nothing prevented her this time from approaching the police if Singh assaulted and abused her physically as well as financially.”