Pratyusha suicide case: Bombay HC turns down mother’s plea for Crime Branch probe

The High Court, however, observed that records did not show anything to doubt the police’s role. Unable to find any reason to transfer the investigation to the Crime Branch, Justice Naresh Patil and Justice A M Badar, turned down Shoma’s plea.

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The proceedings commenced with Shoma’s lawyer K T Thomas arguing about the police’s role in the investigation following the actor’s death. He argued that the police had delayed the interrogation of Rahul Raj Singh — Pratyusha’s boyfriend. “He then got himself admitted in the hospital to evade interrogation,” the lawyer said.

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Thomas argued that Singh, on the day Pratyusha died, took her body to the hospital without seeking any assistance, not even from the watchmen of the building. “The police never listened to the deceased’s mother, never recorded her statement after the death,” the lawyer argued.

Also Read: Pratyusha Banerjee’s death: No link between abortion, suicide, say investigators

Contesting the claims of the petitioner, Public Prosecutor Sandip Shinde said the police had already recovered two of Pratyusha’s cellphones, besides one of Rahul’s. “The investigation into the call data records is on. The post-mortem report shows ligature marks. The final report, or the viscera report is awaited,” said Shinde.

The prosecutor informed the court there was “some” evidence to show that she was in a physical relationship with the accused. “There is nothing remotely to establish that it is a tainted investigation,” the prosecutor said. After going through police records, the court denied any possibility of the police being biased. The court said the police had exhaustively recorded the statements of five to six witnesses associated closely with the case.

It further observed that the police had recorded the statements of 26 different people. “Prima facie, there is no reason to transfer investigation to any other agency. The DCP is supervising it. The investigation shall be conducted by the same agency,” the court ordered. While posting the next hearing for May 4, the court granted time to the police to complete the investigation.

Also Read: Pratyusha Banerjee’s death: Mother calls it murder, seeks probe by Crime Branch

It further observed that the police had recorded the statements of 26 different people. “Prima facie, there is no reason to transfer investigation to any other agency. The DCP is supervising it. The investigation shall be conducted by the same agency,” the court ordered. While posting the next hearing for May 4, the court granted time to the police to complete the investigation.

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