Late Pratyusha Banerjee's boyfriend says he's ready for trial
What's the story
Rahul Raj Singh, the actor-producer boyfriend of late actor Pratyusha Banerjee is set to face trial in the abetment to suicide case.
His request to be dropped from the case was reportedly rejected by a Mumbai sessions court last month.
The court stated that witness statements indicate he [Singh] made Banerjee's "life a living hell."
In a recent conversation with ETimes, Singh discussed the issues in the relationship with Banerjee and his expectations for the upcoming trial.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Banerjee took her own life due to "physical, emotional, financial harassment, and exploitation" by Singh, said a detailed order from the sessions court, denying Singh's discharge in August.
She died by suicide in her rented apartment in 2016, which led to Singh being charged with abetting her suicide.
He was granted anticipatory bail by the Bombay High Court in 2016. After two years, the Bangur Nagar Police filed a chargesheet in 2018—prompting Singh to request a discharge from the case.
Statement
Singh shot down accusations of providing drugs to Banerjee
Per reports, the sessions court noted that it was prima facie clear that Singh had played a role in providing drugs to Banerjee, even though he was aware of her troubled mental state.
When asked about this, Singh 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."
Mental health
'We hardly fought': Singh on Banerjee seeking counseling
The judge reportedly mentioned a witness's statement—a counselor—who noted that the actor had canceled an appointment just a day before she committed suicide.
It was also revealed that she had contacted a mental health helpline, related to her relationship problems.
Regarding this, Singh commented, "The counseling 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."
Accusations
Singh accused Banerjee's parents of using all her money
When questioned about allegations that he used his relationship for financial gain, Singh responded, "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 and Pratyusha was inundated with abusive calls from lenders."
He added, "When things [became worse], her father left the house promising to arrange money, and her mother left [Banerjee's apartment] two months before the unfortunate incident."
Report
'The truth will unfold': Shankar Banerjee said in a statement
Banerjee's father, Shankar, spoke about the case with the same publication.
He stated, "It has taken us eight years to reach here [trial]. Facts in this case have been misrepresented. The truth will unfold during the trial."
Shankar further mentioned that according to him it's "not abetment to suicide but murder, and the evidence presented in court will speak for itself."
Background
This was Banerjee's cause of death
Banerjee was found hanging from a ceiling fan of her Mumbai apartment in April 2016.
The postmortem report indicated that the cause of death was asphyxia.
Initially, there were reports suggesting that Banerjee was in a live-in relationship with her boyfriend, Singh. However, in 2017, Banerjee's mother claimed that was not the case.
According to reports, the postmortem report also hinted at potential signs of early pregnancy, although nothing was confirmed.