Prima Facie


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Prima Facie

April 1, 2016
Mumbai, India.

Newscaster:
Pratyusha Banerjee was found hanging from the ceiling in a room in her house as reported by the India news outlets.
According to the Indian Express, Police said no suicide note was found and they registered an accidental death report.

An Indian television actress, Pratyusha appeared in numerous television shows and earned accolades, notably one Golden Petal Award. She would have turned 25 on August 10th.

Commentary:
"Pratyusha liked being happy. She wanted happiness in her life. She didn't like being low. She would snap out of it even if she felt low at times." This is what Smita Bansal, her former Balika Vadhu co-star and friend said to India Today. "She was the kind of person who used to start singing out of the blue."

Newscaster:
In his statement to Police, Rahul Raj Singh, a former state level cricketer who also owns a production house, was the first person to see Pratyusha's body hanging from the ceiling fan of their flat in Goregaon West on Friday afternoon.
Singh reported...
"We used to stay in a 2 room flat. We had two keys with ourselves where one was with Pratyusha and one was with me.
When I entered the bedroom, I saw Pratyusha hung to the ceiling.
I immediately called the neighbours and with their help, I took her to Kokilaben Hospital. We assumed she was alive, however, she was not. I got so scared, that I did not inform the Police.
It was the hospital authorities who informed them.
After the doctor's declaration, I called up Pratyusha's family members and a few close friends."

Commentary:
What I find most curious is that after Singh dropped off her body, he scampered from the scene, and with her cell phone. It's said he had switched off his own mobile as Police were on his hunt.

Newscaster:
While some reports said Pratyusha took this drastic step due to mounting financial pressures over the last year, those close to the couple described that she would do certain events out of goodwill, but Rahul had a problem with this. He would interfere and ask for money on her behalf, leading to several arguments between them.

Commentary:
I don't think money was an issue for Pratyusha.
Smita Bansal commented further that Pratyusha was constantly working. "How could she have no money?
She was a very big name. She wasn't a nobody."

Newscaster:
MSN Entertainment reported it was being said that Rahul looked calm and unaffected by the situation during his stay at the hospital.

A few Indian television celebrities found Singh's demeanor at the hospital extremely disturbing. He was caught smiling and eating while Pratyusha was declared dead by the doctors.

Commentary:
Some reports suggested that the Police also suspecting some foul play. Apparently Pratyusha's body had rope marks on her neck.
But her left cheek and nose were bruised and she had blood coming from her mouth.

Newscaster:
A team of doctors conducted the post mortem for over three hours and the entire procedure had been videographed.

Pratyusha's last rites were subsequently carried out at the Oshiwara Crematorium in the presence of tearful parents, other family members and friends.

Commentary:
Ajaz Khan, a fellow actor and friend, said "this can't be suicide.
She was a strong girl she can't commit suicide.
This has happened because of her love life. She had stopped meeting her friends because Rahul didn't like it. When I had met the guy, I had told Pratyusha, you are a beautiful girl, please be careful.
I met her a couple of days ago and she was fine.
So now suddenly suicide! There's obviously something fishy."

I submit to you Rahul Raj Singh's modus operandi was simple.
First, he would befriend a potential victim, then he would offer them work in the industry, followed by his fake claims of love, family wealth and power. Eventually, he would loot them and flee.
Pratyusha was no exception.
Her father has said, "It is not suicide but clearly a planned killing. Rahul had made sure she threw us out of the house in January, and the bank account was wiped out a day before Teetan lost her life."

SLIDE:
Domestic violence in India is epidemic. About 70% of women in India are victims of domestic violence.
The National Crime Records Bureau reports that a crime against a woman is committed every 3 minutes.
A woman is raped every 29 minutes.
A dowry death occurs every 77 minutes and one case of cruelty by either the husband or a relative of the husband is committed every 9 minutes.

Newscaster:
Pratyusha's friend, Leena Dias, reported to the Indian Express that Rahul used to slap her in public and at parties.

Spot Boy E reported that hours before her alleged suicide, Singh slapped Pratyusha as the couple had a very public fight at Goregaon's Carnival Cinema.

Commentary:
This was a case of domestic violence gone too far.
Pratyusha was 5' 2" with a 10' ceiling.
Even standing on the closest piece of furniture, on her tip toes, drunk as it has been reported, I have a hard time believing she then wraps her dupatta around the center of a ceiling fan and....
Sorry I don't buy it.
I believe Pratyusha Banerjee was accidently murdered by Rahul Raj Singh.
The suicide was staged.
(pause)
Pratyusha is found with injuries to her face and body that are inconsistent with suicide. And the condition of the body was curiously missing important telltale signs of a suicide.
The timeline was as follows, on March 31 Rahul Raj Singh partied with an unnamed young lady arriving home around 4 am Friday April 1. Pratyusha and he got into an argument sometime that morning. According to blood alcohol levels reported by the coroner, Pratyusha was drinking. Singh leaves the flat around 1pm. Supposedly speaks to Pratyusha on the phone sometime after, then arrivies home around 5pm to find his 5' 2" intoxicated girlfriend hanging from their 10' ceilings ceiling fan.
He then rushes, what he wants us to believe is, his seriously injured future wife's body past the first available hospital to a hospital on the other side of town.

Rumours, gossip and facts will continue to surface on the tragic death of Pratyusha Banerjee, but only one person knows for sure what happened on Friday April 1, 2016.

He's free now to weave whatever tale he needs to, to stay out of jail. Pratyusha is not here to defend herself.

There are just too many inconsistencies.
It just doesn't add up.

written by Joe Pisciotta
© 2016 selfdefensefreepress

  • Joe Pisciotta
    Writer
  • madridSTREETfilms
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 48 seconds
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 2016 IndieWise Virtual Film Festival
  • 2016 IndustryBOOST
  • 2017 Cosmic Film Festival
    Orlando
  • 2017 IndieWise Convention Miami
Director Biography

Since 2007, madridSTREETfilms has produced some 100 plus films. We have screened at over 100 film festivals in the U.S., online and abroad. We have also aired on Public Access Television in the U.S. and Europe. Visit madridstreetfilms.com for a look at our work.

http://m.imdb.com/name/nm3172447/

http://www.madridstreetfilms.com

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