Mumbai, September 30 (Daily Kiran) : The Bombay High Court delivered a significant ruling on September 30 regarding the suicide case of actress Pratyusha Banerjee, known for her role in the popular television series “Balika Vadhu.” The court has acquitted her former partner, Rahul Raj Singh, of all charges.
Justice S.G. Dighe’s single bench stated that the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.
Pratyusha, 24, was found hanging in her rented apartment in Goregaon West on April 1, 2016. Following a complaint from her mother, Soma Banerjee, the Bangur Nagar police filed charges against Singh under IPC sections 306 (abetment of suicide), 323, 504, and 506. The allegations included claims that Singh had subjected Pratyusha to physical, mental, and financial abuse.
Singh received anticipatory bail from the High Court in July 2016. The police submitted a charge sheet in 2018, after which Singh sought to be discharged from the case. The Dindoshi Sessions Court rejected his plea in August 2023, noting that witness testimonies suggested Singh had made Pratyusha’s life unbearable.
In his defense, Singh’s senior lawyers, Abad Ponda and Shreyansh Mithare, argued that the FIR was filed hastily and emphasized the absence of a suicide note. They pointed out that in the last phone call recorded an hour before her death, Singh was encouraging Pratyusha not to take any drastic steps and expressing his love for her. He was also the one who opened the door and attempted to take her to the hospital.
The court accepted these arguments, concluding that the case did not constitute abetment to suicide, and allowing the trial would be an abuse of legal process. Singh has maintained that he and Pratyusha were planning to marry in December 2016. After a decade of legal battles, he has now been acquitted. Pratyusha’s family retains the option to appeal to the Supreme Court.
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