‘Washed hair with Tide, made coffee from toilet water’: Actor Chrisann Pereira recounts her prison life in Sharjah

The actor thanked her family, friends, police, churches, media and those who believed in her innocence for giving her hope. “You are the real warriors while I am just a pawn in this dirty game played by these ‘Mansters’. I am forever grateful to everyone who tweeted and reshared my story to arrest the real criminals facilitating international organised crime. We are a great powerful nation and I cannot wait to return home,” she said in the letter.

“Thank you for saving my life and the lives of other innocent people who fell prey to this scam. May justice always prevail,” she concluded.

Pereira was put behind bars in Sharjah on April 1 after a Borivali-based bakery owner, Anthony Paul (35), allegedly framed her in a narcotics case. Paul made his friend Rajesh Borate to pose as talent manager Ravi and approached the actor who has previously worked in films Sadak 2 and Batla House.

Ravi allegedly told Pereira to attend an audition for an international web series in Sharjah for which tickets and hotels were booked. On April 1, when she was to leave for Sharjah, Ravi handed her a memento with drugs hidden in it. The accused then tipped off the Sharjah police who arrested the actor.

The actor has been a part of several plays such as Three Women, Drumroll and Sundays with Chitra. Pereira was also a part of a web series called Thinkistan. She lives in Borivli along with her parents and brother.

The actor is expected to return to India within 48 hours, said Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Lakhmi Gautam, who oversaw the probe, on Wednesday.

A probe by Mumbai Crime Branch revealed that Paul was allegedly upset with Pereira’s mother over a fight they had during Covid and plotted to take revenge. Apart from Pereira, he also tried this on four others, one of whom – Clayton Rodrigues – is still lodged in Sharjah Prison. The police had arrested Paul and Borate.