Pratyusha Banerjee, who became widely known for playing Anandi in the popular television show Balika Vadhu, died by suicide on April 1, 2016, at the age of 24. At the time, she was in a live-in relationship with Rahul Raj Singh, who was also the person who took her to the hospital after finding her at their residence. She was declared dead at the hospital.
Following her death, Pratyusha’s parents accused Singh of physical, emotional and financial harassment and alleged that the circumstances of their relationship had contributed to her death. An FIR was registered under Sections 306, 323 and 506 of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, relating to abetment to suicide, assault and criminal intimidation.
Singh had previously sought to be discharged from the case, but the Dindoshi Sessions Court rejected his plea in August 2023. He subsequently challenged that decision before the Bombay High Court.
A significant point considered in the latest proceedings was the recorded final conversation between Pratyusha and Singh before her death. According to the arguments reported in court, Singh’s lawyers Aabad Ponda and Shreyansh Mithare submitted that the conversation showed him trying to persuade Pratyusha not to take any drastic step and telling her that he was on his way to meet her. The defence argued that the conversation did not support an allegation of abetment.
The defence also raised questions about the absence of a suicide note and challenged the circumstances surrounding the registration of the FIR. The prosecution, meanwhile, opposed the discharge plea and relied on allegations made by Pratyusha’s mother and other material in the case.
The Bombay High Court has now accepted Singh’s discharge plea, bringing an end to the proceedings against him at the trial stage. The case had remained in the legal spotlight since Pratyusha Banerjee’s death in 2016.
