Court reserves order on discharge plea of Pratyusha Banerjee’s boyfriend

Singh has claimed that they were planning to get married in December 2016. However, Banerjee was “deeply disturbed and frustrated” due to the “constant interference by Soma (Banerjee’s mother) and her husband Shankar Banerjee” in her affairs, the plea said, adding she was disturbed because of her parents and not because of him (Singh)

MUMBAI: The Dindoshi sessions court on Saturday reserved order on the discharge plea filed by actor Rahul Raj Singh who has been booked for abetment to suicide of his girlfriend and television actor Pratyusha Banerjee.

“Banerjee was an educated woman. She had approached the police in the case of her previous relationship wherein the man had abused her. Nothing prevented her this time from approaching the police if Singh was assaulting and abusing her physically, and financially,” Mithare said. (HT PHOTO)

Singh has claimed that they were planning to get married in December 2016. However, Banerjee was “deeply disturbed and frustrated” due to the “constant interference by Soma (Banerjee’s mother) and her husband Shankar Banerjee” in her affairs, the plea said, adding she was disturbed because of her parents and not because of him (Singh).

Singh’s lawyer Shreyansh Mithare said in his last conversation with the actor she could he heard abusing her parents. He also relied on the statements of money lenders who claimed that Banerjee had taken huge loans.

“Loans to the tune of ₹10 lakh were taken in her name by her parents. The agreements with the lenders were prepared by her parents and Banerjee had just signed those documents,” Mithare said.

When the prosecution referred to the statements of the family members who claimed that she had complained about Singh and showed them injury marks, Mithare countered it, saying this was hearsay evidence.

“Banerjee was an educated woman. She had approached the police in the case of her previous relationship wherein the man had abused her. Nothing prevented her this time from approaching the police if Singh was assaulting and abusing her physically, and financially,” Mithare said.

The court is likely to pronounce the order on August 2.

Banerjee, known for playing the leading role in television series Balika Vadhu, died by suicide in her rented apartment in Goregaon West on April 1, 2016.

Singh was booked for allegedly abetting her suicide. The Bombay high court had on July 2, 2016, granted him anticipatory bail. Two years after the probe, the Bangur Nagar police in April 2018 filed a chargesheet in the case after which the actor filed a plea for discharge.