Varsha was erudite but had a ‘turbulent life’

“She always came across as extremely vibrant,well-read and erudite. She was a disturbed person and tried to commit suicide in the past. She was highly sensitive,highly intelligent. In my interaction with her,she came across as a restless mind. She was constantly looking for reassurance of friendship,companionship,” De said.

“She was devastated hearing about Gautam’s death. According to her family friends,she wanted to start a trust along with Rajadhyaksha and open an orphanage. The plans were cancelled when Rajadhyaksha died,” said Krishna Prakash,additional commissioner of police (south region). The friends told the police that Varsha was under medication. “We have got the names of two doctors — Dr Orlekar and Dr Alegaonkar from Pune — from whom Varsha was receiving treatment. We will find out the nature of her treatment,” Krishna Prakash added.

Varsha,a political science graduate from Elphinstone College,stayed with her mother. She was married to sports writer Hemant Kenkre,but divorced him in 1998. The couple did not have any children. Varsha,who had been suffering from depression for the last seven years,was believed to have undergone therapy. Police said she also suffered acute pain in her right knee,for which she was also undergoing treatment.

Senior journalist and editor Ayaz Memon,who had inducted Varsha as a columnist in MiD-DAY,remembers her as a writer with “strong political views”. “This may sound strange,but I never knew of her as being Asha Bhosle’s daughter. She never spoke about it. When I was eventually told,I did wonder — she could choose films and Bollywood,but interestingly she chose to be a political columnist. She could debate endlessly and hold a good argument on her subject. As a columist,one could never fault her.”

Former editor of Screen Udaya Tara Nayar recalls Varsha being a good hostess. “She was a pleasure to meet and would ensure she entertained the guest till Ashaji came to the drawing room.”

Ahmed Rauf,former editor of Filmfare said,“She was bright and could talk intelligently on any subject. She was disappointed that she could not be a singer.”

Friends of Varsha said “she had a turbulent life” and “had problems of her own”. She worked as a freelance journalist and columnist for over three decades.

Cops finding out if pistol was licensed

The Gamdevi police are trying to ascertain whether the pistol with which Varsha Bhosle allegedly shot herself was licensed,and under whose name it was registered.

“We have no record of the registration of the pistol,” said an officer from the Gamdevi police station.

“We have not found the licence in the house,and since the family members of the deceased are not in Mumbai,we cannot say who is the owner of the weapon,” said Krishna Prakash,additional commissioner of police (south region). He added that the .6mm Belgium-made Browning pistol was a palm-sized weapon with five bullets loaded in it.

“We have found one bullet lodged in the temple of the deceased,and three inside the pistol,while one was found loaded in the chamber ready to be fired. The pistol is automatic,” said Prakash.

“We will also find out why a loaded pistol and bullets were kept within the reach of an allegedly depressed Varsha. We are waiting for Asha Bhosle and her son to return from Singapore to find this out,” added Prakash.

Prakash said that Varsha did not own a mobile phone since she did not go out of her house much.

“There is a landline at her apartment,and we are getting the call records,” Prakash added.