HC grants Pratyusha's boyfriend interim protection from arrest

Mumbai, April 12:  The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest, till Monday, to television actor-producer Rahul Raj Singh, accused of abetment of suicide of his girlfriend and popular actress Pratyusha Banerjee. Justice Mridula Bhatkar also asked Rahul to appear before the Bangur gar Police Station in Goregaon west daily for two hours from Wednesday till April 18, and in case he was arrested, he should be released on a bond of Rs.30,000. The court’s orders came in an anticipatory bail application filed by him after a similar plea was rejected by a lower court last week. His lawyer Abad Ponda said the actor was currently in hospital and the FIR copy was not provided to him though police has filed a report before the court. Pratyusha, who portrayed the characted of the adult Andi in the famous teleserial “Balika Vadhu”, was found hanging from the fan by Singh and neighbours at her Goregaon residence on April 1. She was rushed to the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital where she was declared dead. Questioned for two days after the incident, Rahul has been in hospital since April 3 and on April 7, he filed an anticipatory bail application which was rejected by Dindoshi sessions court. (IANS)