Funeral Will Be Held Today In Vile Parle
Sushil Rao & Bella Jaisinghani | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 28, 2018)

More than two-and-a-half days after superstar Sridevi’s body was found in a bathtub in her hotel room in Dubai, the UAE authorities closed the case and released the body to be taken back to India. The body, which was then embalmed, was flown in a private charter flight belonging to ADAG from Dubai airport at 7pm (IST) and landed in Mumbai at 9.30pm.

A posse of policemen escorted the ambulance carrying Sridevi’s mortal remains to the Kapoors’ Lokhandwala residence. Police had to resort to a lathi-charge to control the 2,000-odd-strong crowd gathered there.

The actor’s body will be kept at Celebration Club in Andheri from 9.30am to 12.30 pm on Wednesday so that fans and celebrities can pay their respects, said a statement issued by the Kapoor family. From Celebration Club, the funeral procession will leave for the Vile Parle Seva Samaj crematorium at 2pm and the last rites are expected to be performed around 3.30pm.

On Monday, after the post-mortem report revealed the cause of the actor’s death to be “accidental drowning” and the case was transferred to the Dubai public prosecution, there was speculation that the authorities may not release the body on Tuesday either.

There were also reports that the authorities were planning to collect more blood samples and tissues for investigation. However, ruling out any foul play and the need for re-investigation, authorities speeded up the process and closed the case by afternoon.
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MUMBAI MIRROR (February 28, 2018)

A private jet owned by industrialist Anil Ambani and carrying Sridevi’s body departed from Dubai around 7 pm and landed at Mumbai at 9:40 pm. An ambulance from Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital took her body to Boney Kapoor’s Lokhandwala residence around 11 pm. Security had been stepped up at all locations to ensure a final farewell to the cinematic legend, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 54.

On Wednesday at 2 pm the Dubai Prosecutor’s Office ruled out any foul play in her death and released the body to her family. The forensic report had stated that Sridevi had died from accidental drowning in her bathtub, after losing consciousness and the case was closed. Boney Kapoor, his brother Sanjay, sister Reena and her husband Sandeep, and Boney’s son Arjun Kapoor, took the body from the morgue, got it embalmed and flew to Mumbai on a private plane that had been parked at the Dubai airport since Sunday. At Mumbai airport, Anil Kapoor was present to receive the family.

In a statement, the Kapoor family said Sridevi’s body will be at Celebration Sports Club in Lokhandwala near her home for people to pay their last respects between 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, before cremation. The last journey commences at 3:30 pm at a Vile Parle Crematorium.

Colleagues and friends of the late actress kept pouring into Anil Kapoor’s Juhu bungalow to pay their respects to the family. While Rajinikath, Shah Rukh Khan with wife Gauri and Akshay Kumar with wife Twinkle arrived late on Monday night, Bappi Lahiri, Katrina Kaif, Athiya and Ahaan Shetty were present on Wednesday. Anupam with son Sikander Kher, Anees Bazmee and late Shammi Kapoor’s wife Neila Devi were also present.

Sara Ali Khan was seen taking packages for her friend, Sridevi’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor. Janhvi and sister Khushi, have been distraught and isolated at Anil’s bungalow, with their close friends keeping them company.
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Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; February 28, 2018)

A Kapoor family’s long wait to bring back the mortal remains of Sridevi came to an end as the Dubai Police allowed the repatriation of her body yesterday. The Dubai Public Prosecution closed the case after stressing that all procedures were followed, a day after they announced that the actor’s death occurred due to “ accidental drowning” at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel on February 24. The mortal remains of the actor arrived at the aviation terminal in Kalina at 9.30 pm last evening, in Anil Ambani’s Embraer jet. Accompanying Boney Kapoor were brother Sanjay Kapoor and son Arjun Kapoor, who had flown to Dubai yesterday morning to be by his side. Anil and Sonam Kapoor were present at the airport along with Ambani.

Preparations were underway at The Celebration Sports Club in Lokhandwala, where the actor’s body will be kept from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm today to enable fans to pay homage to the star. The last journey will commence at 2 pm from the sports club to Vile Parle Seva Samaj crematorium and the funeral is scheduled for 4 pm at Vile Parle’s Pawan Hans. A source close to the family said, “Anil and Sanjay are overseeing the arrangement of the condolence meet and the funeral.”