Dubai closes case on Indian actress
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai investigators on Tuesday closed the case into the death last weekend of Indian movie icon Sridevi, calling it an accidental drowning.
The 54-year-old Sridevi, who was known by only one name, drowned in a hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, officials said. Police officials said the autopsy also revealed alcohol in her system.
“The case has now been closed,” the staterun Dubai Media office tweeted.
Her family brought the actress’ body to Mumbai in a private plane owned by Anil Ambani, a wealthy Mumbai-based industrialist, on Tuesday night. Several Bollywood personalities and a large number of her fans were at the airport to pay homage to Sridevi.
Her cremation is scheduled today, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
Her husband, Boney Kapoor, is a well-known Bollywood film producer.
Sridevi’s death has been front-page news in India, where Bollywood stars command an almost mythical status. Fans have been gathering in front of the Mumbai home of her brother-in-law, prominent actor Anil Kapoor.
The coverage has been both lurid and restrained, with one TV station showing a reporter talking about her death from inside a bathtub, and many newspapers not mentioning the alcohol reports.