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Actor-producer Rahul Raj Singh breaks silence after acquittal: They made a villain out of me
Rahul Raj Singh says he feels relieved after the High Court acquitted him a decade after Pratyusha Banerjee’s death. He alleges industry backlash cost him work
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A decade after the tragic death of television actress Pratyusha Banerjee, actor-producer Rahul Raj Singh has been discharged by the High Court, bringing an end to a ten-year judicial ordeal.
Breaking his silence in an exclusive conversation following the court order, Singh says, "I feel a great sense of relief in my life. This has been a long battle, 10 years, a whole decade. Going to court every single day and thinking about those people who were forcing, lying, and framing me in a case to save themselves was extremely tough. It started with a police investigation in 2016, moving from lower court to sessions court, and then high court. The High Court has given a very detailed, point-by-point order. Hearing this, we knew that we were innocent. I always said that I was being framed, but people from the industry supported them.”
The prolonged legal battle Singh says, ‘severely damaged’ his reputation and halted his professional career, with several industry figures leading the narrative against him.
”Rumours are so bad that even my friends started considering me a criminal. The media trial proved me a criminal within 10 days. Pratyusha’s television friends played a major role in defaming me and pushing false narratives. I didn’t get a single job from the industry, my production house closed down, and I couldn’t get any acting work. It was like a complete boycott while I had to stay and fight the case in Bombay.”
Recalling the day of the incident, Singh addressed, ”Losing someone so close is painful beyond words. I was in the hospital after the incident, and taking advantage of my absence, these people prepared content, and filed a case against me behind my back. What was my fault? I broke the door, took the risk, and rushed her to the hospital to save her life. The investigation included forensic checks and was thorough. In our eight to nine months of relationship, I had never raised a finger at her. She was stressed due to heavy financial loans taken in her name. She was a good person at heart, and wherever she is today, her soul must be relieved that I have been discharged.”
With the court order released, Singh is now actively pursuing counter-legal action against those who publicly accused him. ”With court order in hand of course I will with my legal team decide what action we can take against people who put me into so much pain and trouble. At times I think if police had not recovered a phone recodring from Pratyusha’s phone then mein toh khtam ho gya tha, that recording saved me and I am acquitted. Making an innocent person a criminal in front of the media is a serious offence. against all those who made false statements. Mentally, I am finally in a state to restart my work. What I came to Bombay to do to become a hero and they turned me into a villain.”
