Pratyusha Banerjee's boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh grilled over her suicide

Rahul Raj, the actor-producer boyfriend of television actor Pratyusha Banerjee who committed suicide on Friday, was detained for questioning on Saturday as he had gone incommunicado the previous night. He was released at 11pm. No foul play is suspected so far. The autopsy showed ligature marks on the actor's neck and a history of asphyxia.

After Pratyusha, who made her name playing Anandi in 'Balika Vadhu', hanged herself in her Goregaon flat on Friday, Rahul rushed her to hospital and informed the cops. Thereafter, he dialled someone well-versed in law. On the man's advice, Rahul slipped away from the hospital and switched off his phone. As a result, the police picked him up on Saturday as he had behaved in a suspicious manner.

“Pratyusha's parents said she had told them about frequent fights with Rahul but the two usually patched up. They have not made any complaint against Rahul. They want us to probe what drove Pratyusha to the edge and if Rahul was responsible,“ said an official.

Family, friends and neighbours of TV actor Pratyusha Banerjee said she and her boyfriend Rahul Raj were in a tumultuous relationship. “Rahul was opposed to her drinking and the two bickered a lot about it. They were also facing financial trouble,“ said a police official. Rahul was married to an airhostess earlier and had got divorced.

“Around 12.30pm on Friday, I left home to drop my house help to the railway station. I heard Pratyusha howling inside her flat. I wondered if I should knock and ask what the matter was. But I decided against it as it was their personal matter. After learning of her death, I wish I had knocked,“ said actor Anuj Sachdeva, a neighbour of the couple.

On Friday afternoon, Rahul left home to meet someone. He called up Pratyusha who sounded “very depressed“. He then decided to return home and picked up food for her. But on reaching home, he could not find his keys. He went back to a paan stall where he had forgotten these. Praltyusha had double-locked the door so he couldn't get in. He tried to open the door unsuccessfully with his car tools before summoning a keymaker.

“The keymaker struggled to unlock the door. Meanwhile, a cook working in an adjacent flat offered to enter the window of Pratyusha's flat from outside. The cook saw Pratyusha hanging from the fan and let Rahul and the keymaker into the house. Rahul held the body while the keymaker cut off the dupatta she had used for hanging,“ said a resident.

Once the body was brought down, Rahul tried mouth-to mouth resuscitation to revive Pratyusha. He then took her into the elevator and rushed her to Kokilaben Dhirubha Ambani Hospital in Andheri where she was declared dead.

Seven statements were recorded by the police on Saturday, including that of the key maker. The CCTV footage of he Goregaon society, which shows Rahul leaving and returning, has been seized. Inspector Deepak Phatangare is leading the probe.

A search of Rahul's apartment by the cops revealed two cellphones and liquor bottles The sofa was stained with cigarette stub marks.

Rahul's lawyer Neeraj Gupta said, “Rahul has nothing to do with the suicide. Let the evidence come forward. He should not be declared a culprit right now.“

Speaking to mediapersons at Siddharth Hospital on Saturday, Rahul said he had not fought with Pratyusha. “We were very happy together and planned to get married soon. Pratyusha was worried about work offers but I was taking care of her. I don't know why Pratyusha decided to end her life. I was scared to see her hanging and tried to resuscitate her. I took her to the hospital in my arms and informed the police too. We were in love. Now, she has left me and gone away,“ he said, breaking down.

Meanwhile, actor Sara Khan said Pratyusha had attempted suicide twice in the past two months. Khan's maid worked at her place earlier. The maid told Sara a few days ago that Pratyusha had tried to consume poison once and on another occasion, she had tried to jump off her balcony. The maid had rescued her both times, said Sara and added that Pratyusha was keen on marrying Rahul. She would sometimes wear sindoor and had even kept her bridal lehenga ready. Sara alleged that Rahul used to comment on Pratyusha's previous relationships.