HC may hear plea of Pratyusha’s kin today
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday admitted a writ petition filed by the parents of television actor Pratyusha Banerjee, who committed suicide earlier this month, seeking that the probe in the case be transferred to the crime branch.
Banerjee’s parents mentioned their plea before a division bench on Wednesday afternoon and the bench is likely to take it up for consideration on Thursday. The petitioners’ counsel advocate KT Thomas claimed before HC that the ongoing probe into Banerjee’s suicide was “misleading” and that the police seemed to be in “collusion” with Banerjee’s boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh, the accused in the case.
Thomas also submitted that even though Banerjee’s parents had alleged that Singh was responsible for their daughter’s suicide, the police registered an FIR against Singh only two days later. “A young girl ended her life. Her distraught parents deserve a fair probe,” advocate Thomas said.
Pratyusha’s parents have been alleging that their daughter could not have committed suicide and that her partner Rahul Singh must have murdered her. Singh is, at present, out on pre-arrest bail.
Last week, the parents of the TV star had written to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking a probe into her death by Mumbai Police Crime Branch following which the state government said it may be done. Pratyusha’s mother Shoma had alleged that Rahul was “solely responsible for her death”.
She had also alleged that instead of seriously investigating the matter, the Bangur Nagar police, where the case has been registered, was giving a free hand to the accused to destroy the evidence.