Ligature marks were detected on the neck of popular TV actress Pratyusha Banerjee, indicating death due to asphyxiation and hanging, according to a preliminary autopsy on Saturday evening.
A team of doctors conducted the post-mortem on her body for over three hours and the entire procedure has been videographed and photographed, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone XI, Vikram Deshmane told media persons.
The autopsy was performed by a team of doctors of Siddharth Hospital, and the preliminary cause of death is due to asphyxia, with the final report still awaited, he added.
The "Balika Vadhu" actress was found hanging from a fan in her suburban Goregaon residence on Friday evening by her boyfriend and television actor Rahul Raj Singh. She was taken to hospital but succumbed there later.
The Bangur Nagar Police has registered an accidental death case and was in the process of recording the statement of Rahul, Deshmane said.
The statements of her parents Shankar and Soma Banerjee, who arrived this morning from Jamshedpur, have also been recorded and further investigations are underway, he added.
Though officials declined to comment, a tattoo bearing the name 'Rahul' - purportedly referring to her boyfriend - was found on her upper back.
Pratyusha's last rites were subsequently carried out at the Oshiwara Crematorium in the presence of her tearful parents, other family members, her friends, actors and co-stars from the television industry.
Rahul was questioned by police on Saturday in an attempt to unravel the probable reasons behind her shocking suicide that left the entertainment industry stunned.
The glamour industry is rife with speculation about her disturbed personal life, her suspected uneasy relationship with Rahul and other aspects that may have prompted her to resort to the extreme step.
Several television industry personalities have claimed on social media networks that Pratyusha was a strong-willed personality and they could not digest she could end her life in this manner.
Prior to Pratyusha, several high-profile suicides of including models-actresses such as Nafisa Joseph, Kuljeet Randhawa, Viveka Babajee, Jiah Khan, Shikha Joshi and Ruby Singh, in the past decade or so, have rocked the entertainment capital.
PRATYUSHA WAS 'LIVELY', NEWS OF HER HER DEATH IS SHOCKING: TV STARS
The tragic demise of actress Pratyusha Banerjee has left the telly world in a state of shock, with many expressing that it is devastating that the "vibrant" and "lively" star got into a state of depression and allegedly committed suicide.
Hailing from Jharkhand, the 24-year-old was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her flat in Goregaon West on Friday afternoon by her boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh, who took her to the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital where she succumbed.
Pratyusha, who came into the limelight through her portrayal of the grownup Anandi in popular TV show “Balika Vadhu” -- which delved into the issue of child marriage. Later, she went on to star in various shows like “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5”, “Bigg Boss 7”, “Hum Hain Na”, and “Power Couple”, in which she appeared with Rahul.
Actress Delnaaz Irani, who shared screen space with Pratyusha in “Power Couple”, told IANS: “It (Pratyusha's death) is very shocking and saddening. It is a devastating news for us... I always thought she was a chirpy and very bubbly, vibrant and full of life kind of a girl.
“I don't know what went wrong with Pratyusha and why did she take such a step because even during the ('Power Couple') finale we met and she was talking about her marriage. She was so happy and said that they (Rahul and Pratyusha) are going to invite everybody and we all have to come. It will be a destination wedding," she added.
Sidharth Shukla, who shared screen space with the late actress in “Balika Vadhu”, said: “I can't believe that Pratyusha can do this. It's really sad to hear about her death. She never used to take any work pressure. It's hard to think that she was in a state of depression."
Rahul is Pratyusha's second boyfriend. She was previously in a relationship with Makarand Malhotra, which ended in disaster with Pratyusha alleging abuse.
Kamya Punjabi, who is a close friend of Pratyusha, refused to talk about her when contacted by IANS, due to her emotional state.
The makers of "Balika Vadhu" have wished "peace, comfort and hope" for the late 24-year-old's family.
"It is really unfortunate and shocking for us to know that we lost one of our talented and young actor of television. We sadly mourn the untimely death of Pratyusha and wish the family peace, comfort and hope in the midst of their sorrow,” Sunjoy Wadhwa, producer of "Balika Vadhu", said.
Actor Shashank Vyas, who played the character of Anandi's husband Jagdish in "Balika Vadhu", is finding it hard to believe that Pratyusha could take such a drastic step.
"Pratyusha was full of life. She was my first Anandi. I have fond memories of her. I had not imagined she would do something as drastic as suicide. I thought its an April Fools' prank when I got a call from a friend... May her soul rest in peace," Shashank said.
Actor Laksh Lalwani said: "She was such a down to earth and easy going person. I believe that every actor is very sensitive. One bad move and if affects them a lot. May god be on her and on her family's side. I'm still not able to accept the fact (that she is dead)."
Apart from the TV industry, celebrities from the film world have also mourned the untimely demise of Pratyusha Banerjee. Stars like Rishi Kapoor, Karan Johar, Arbaaz Khan, Madhur Bhandarkar, Anupam Kher and Mika Singh took to Twitter on Saturday to express their grief
PRATYUSHA WAS TENSED ABOUT HER RELATIONSHIP: RAKHI SAWANT
Bollywood actress and item girl Rakhi Sawant, a close friend of TV actress Pratyusha Banerjee who allegedly committed suicide on Friday, says the "Balika Vadhu" star was "tensed" about her relationship with her boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh.
Pratyusha hanged herself from a fan at her Goregaon West residence but was detected and taken to the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital where she succumbed.
"I still can't believe that she is no more. She was so lively and full of life. She had such big dreams. I had met her few days back and she was little upset. She looked tensed about Rahul's ex-girlfriend Saloni. She was tensed about her relationship," Rakhi told IANS here.
"She was such an emotional girl that the moment we ask what happened she used to have tears in her eyes," she added.
Rakhi also said that Pratyusha was not depressed about her work, but she was only tensed about her relationship.
"She was madly in love with Rahul and used to say that she can't live without him. Let the Mumbai police investigate on this," she added.
Hailing from Jharkhand, Pratyusha catapulted to fame with her role in "Balika Vadhu" between 2010-2013.
She was later seen in the reality dance show "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa 5", "Bigg Boss 7" and hosted some episodes of "Savdhan India". She recently appeared in "Sasural Simar Ka".
