Beau Charged in Bollywood Star's Suicide

Rahul Raj Singh faces abetment, assault charges
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 6, 2016 7:39 AM CDT
Beau Charged in Bollywood Star's Suicide
Rahul Raj Singh and Pratyusha Banerjee   (Instagram)

The boyfriend of a Bollywood actress found hanged in her Mumbai home on Friday may have had a hand in her death. Police say actor-producer Rahul Raj Singh has been charged with assault, criminal intimidation, and abetment to the suicide of Pratyusha Banerjee, the lead actress in the Indian TV drama Balika Vadhu who had also appeared in a dance competition similar to Dancing With the Stars, per USA Today. Authorities say they acted on a complaint from Banerjee's parents, who accuse Singh of abusing Banerjee, 24, over six months, managing her finances, and hiding a child from a previous marriage, per the Indian Express and India Today. Friends say Singh cheated on Banerjee, who was also allegedly abused by his ex-girlfriend, reports India Today.

Singh was interrogated by police for two days after finding Banerjee hanging from a ceiling fan in their home in Goregaon on Friday afternoon. He has since been admitted to a hospital with chest pains and is said to be suffering from shock and depression. He's likely to be arrested upon his release in a day or two. "Singh's movements are being monitored as we are trying to corroborate his statement," says an officer. "We have been checking text messages that the duo exchanged. We have obtained transcripts of their conversations that indicate fights between the couple." Surveillance video from the building in which the couple lived is also being reviewed. (This case is eerily similar to another Bollywood suicide.)

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