Pratyusha Banerjee died by suicide due to Rahul Raj’s conduct: Court

Pratyusha Banerjee died by suicide apparently because of Rahul Raj’s conduct — physical, emotional, financial harassment and exploitation which had landed her in depression. “She had expressed her desire not to live further on account of the same to her aunt Barnali Banerjee and the tarot card reader,” SJ Ansari, additional sessions judge, said in his order pronounced on August 14, rejecting the discharge plea of Raj, which became available on Wednesday.

MUMBAI: In its detailed order refusing to discharge actor Rahul Raj, the sessions court has said that his girlfriend Pratyusha Banerjee died by suicide apparently because of his conduct — physical, emotional, financial harassment and exploitation which had landed her in depression.

Mumbai, Aug 08, 2015 - Rahul Raj Singh and Pratyusha was seen during a birthday party of Pratyusha Banerjee. (Hindustan Times)

“She had expressed her desire not to live further on account of the same to her aunt Barnali Banerjee and the tarot card reader,” SJ Ansari, additional sessions judge, said in his order pronounced on August 14, rejecting the discharge plea of Raj, which became available on Wednesday.

“The pitiable condition to which the deceased had been reduced to by the accused can scarcely be imagined,” the court said adding that she was earning her own livelihood and living independently but she had left herself to be completely controlled by the accused and was under his thumb.

Banerjee died by suicide in her rented apartment in Goregaon West on April 1, 2016, after which Raj was booked for abetting her suicide. Raj was granted anticipatory bail by Bombay high court on July 2, 2016. Two years after the probe, the Bangur Nagar police in April 2018 filed a chargesheet in the case after which the actor had filed a plea for discharge.

“The accused who was living with the deceased could not be said to have been unaware about the state of her mind as also of she being caught in a catch 22 situation i.e. about she being aware of it being beneficial and necessary to leave her exploitive partner, but still wanting to marry him. This state of being of Pratyusha as per the material, on record, was on account of the accused, whose harassment made her think about suicide,” the court said.

The court rejected the contentions advanced by Raj’s lawyer, advocate Shreyansh Mithare, that the actress took such harsh step only because of her parents. The lawyer had relied on the last conversation between Raj and Banerjee in support of his contention.

In this regard the court said, the stray things mentioned in her last conversation with the accused by the deceased regarding her parents cannot be taken out of the context. It cannot be held that it was the conduct of her parents and the fact of she being penniless on account of not getting any work, which could have prompted the deceased to commit suicide and the accused could not be blamed for the same.

“Quite sickeningly, even during the last conversation between them, it is the accused who is found telling the deceased that she had been looted out of her money even though the facts on record will indicate to the contrary,” the court said.

The court relied on the statements of other witnesses who said that the actress was abused by Raj. The court went on to say that even after knowing that Banerjee was depressed, he introduced her to alcohol and drugs.

“It is, therefore, prima facie clear that it was the accused who was facilitating the supply of drugs to the deceased, in spite of knowing the fact of she is being in a depressed and disturbed state of mind. His intent to have the deceased completely under his thumb was, therefore, writ large on the face of the record,” the court said.

“The fact that this witness stated that she had seen the accused force the deceased to drink on various occasions after which she had started drinking due to the harassment of the accused, will indicate the fact of the accused having used all possible tactics to make the deceased feel hopeless and helpless, thereby making it impossible for her to leave him,” the court added.