Pratyusha Banerjee’s mother: I helped resolve the couple’s fights
The police said they were looking at the joint bank accounts of Pratyusha and Rahul to find out why the Balika Vadhu star committed suicide.
The mother of actor Pratyusha Banerjee, who committed suicide on April 1, has told the Bangur Nagar police in her statement that she had helped resolve several fights between Pratyusha and her boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh, which often ended with the two living separately for a brief period. Pratyusha’s parents are currently in Ambernath.
In her statement to the police, Pratyusha’s mother Soma said, “I used to live with Pratyusha at her Kandivli flat. When [she and Rahul] would have fights, they would live separately. I counselled them to not fight so much and concentrate on their careers.”
Read: Medicines, alcohol found during search of Pratyusha’s house
She told the police she didn’t know why Pratyusha had committed suicide and asked them to investigate the case thoroughly. A source said Pratyusha’s mother also told the police that her daughter’s behaviour had changed because of constant fights with Rahul.
Meanwhile, the police said they were looking at the joint bank accounts of Pratyusha and Rahul for clues.
Lawyer Falguni Bramhabhatt, who on Sunday said she will approach the crime branch on the family’s behalf if the police don’t investigate the case properly, submitted a list of six to eight witnesses to investigators. The police on Monday got in touch with a few more of the couple’s friends.
“We want to put certain facts of the case on the record. Pratyusha’s friends and other witnesses are willing to record their statements,” said Bramhabhatt.
Read: Pratyusha Banerjee wanted to file a case against boyfriend Rahul, say friends
The police are also studying Pratyusha’s and Rahul’s call records to establish a sequence of events. They have not found anything suspicious in them yet.
Bramhabhatt also dismissed rumours that Pratyusha was pregnant when she killed herself, saying, “So far, none of the reports have anything to suggest that she was pregnant. We are awaiting the final post-mortem reports.”
When asked about the statement of Rahul’s father Harshvardhan, who said that Pratyusha had taken a loan for her parents, Bramhabhatt said, “The police should investigate if any loan was taken. Even if she had taken a loan, it is unlikely she would commit suicide over that.”
Meanwhile, Rahul has been shifted from the ICU of Shree Sai Hospital to the general ward as his health as improved, according to advocate Neeraj Gupta.
Gupta added, however, that Rahul remained under observation as he is suffering from hypertension and severe stress. He is unlikely to be discharged soon, Gupta said on Monday evening. A team comprising psychiatrists and a counsellor was called in by the hospital around 3.30pm on Monday to tend to Rahul. His father remained by his side during his second day in hospital.Rahul has not been given a clean chit yet, and the police may summon him for another round of questioning once his health improves.