Pratyusha Banerjee suicide case: Rahul Raj Singh says he is ready to face the trial and the actress’ father is certain that truth will prevail

Last month, a Mumbai sessions court rejected the discharge plea of Rahul Raj Singh, who is accused of abetment in actress Pratyusha Banerjee’s suicide in 2016. The court observed that the witnesses’ statements prima facie show that he made her life a living hell, and the judge added that the absence of a suicide note blaming the accused for her death cannot be sufficient to absolve him of the charges.The judge referred to a statement of a witness, a counsellor, that Pratyusha had cancelled an appointment a day before the alleged suicide. The Balika Vadhu actress had earlier called a mental health helpline for being depressed over her relationship issues and needed counselling.
When we spoke to Rahul regarding this, he said, “The counselling could be for issues from her past relationships. We hardly fought and none of those fights lasted for more than 15 minutes. Also, Pratyusha was not the kind to take any torture silently. How has she not named me anywhere?”
The judge also said that it was prima facie clear that the accused facilitated the supply of drugs to Pratyusha despite knowing that she was in a disturbed state of mind. To this, Rahul said, “People in the industry knew that Pratyusha started drinking before I entered her life. In fact, I would stop her from consuming drugs. I am ready to face the trial.”
When asked about allegations that he used his relationship with Pratyusha for financial benefits and controlled her finances, Rahul said, “I haven’t taken a single penny from her. She was upset with her parents, as she felt that they used all her money. Her mother was party to every loan taken by her, and Pratyusha was inundated with abusive calls from lenders. Her parents took a huge loan in their daughter’s name to support their lavish lifestyle. When things came to a head, her father left the house promising to arrange money, and her mother left two months before the unfortunate incident. How can any parent leave his child who is allegedly depressed or beaten by her partner? I have been suffering for the past seven years. My career is on hold, as the industry seems to have sidelined me.”
Shankar Banerjee: The truth will unfold during the trial
Pratyusha’s father Shankar Banerjee, said, “It has taken us eight years to reach here. Facts in this case have been misrepresented. The truth will unfold during the trial. According to me, it’s not abetment to suicide, but murder. The evidence produced before the court will speak for itself.”
Talking about Rahul’s allegations regarding Pratyusha supporting their lifestyle, her father said, “Everyone knows that Rahul took away all her money. Is applying for a loan an alien concept? He is a criminal who trapped my daughter. It will eventually be revealed that not just Pratyusha, but more girls have been conned by him. He would drug her so that she couldn’t think on her own. How did Pratyusha die two months after she stopped living with us? He didn’t let us stay with her. I want to urge the youth to keep their parents informed of all that’s happening in their lives and tell parents to stay connected with their children. As parents, it is very painful for us.”