Mumbai/Patna: A struggling TV actor, Akshat Utkarsh (26), hanged himself at his rented flat in Andheri (West) late on Sunday night, Amboli police said. While Amboli police called it a case of suicide and ruled out foul play, the actor’s family, which is in Muzaffarpur in Bihar, alleged it is a case of murder.

Utkarsh (26), who had an MBA degree and had also done a film course, took the extreme step just hours after he had spoken to his father over the phone at around 9 pm, police said.

Police said Utkarsh had been staying in Andheri with his roommate Sneha Chavan. According to Chavan, she and Utkarsh “as usual” chatted about various things on Sunday evening, had dinner together and went off to sleep. “She slept in the hall while Utkarsh slept in the bedroom,” police said.

When, at around 11.30 pm, Chavan woke up to go to the washroom, she found him hanging by the ceiling fan, police said. She immediately called their neighbours on the fourth floor of Gokul Bhudargadh Coop Housing Society in the Andheri RTO lane and the police control room. A police team rushed him to a private hospital nearby, where was declared dead before arrival. His body was then taken to Cooper Hospital for a post-mortem.

Amboli senior inspector Someshwar Kamte said, “The preliminary report from Cooper hospital showed asphyxia due to hanging. No foul play was found. Also, we have recorded statements of neighbours and his roommate, who have told us he seemed to be under depression due to a financial crisis.” Kamte said Utkarsh had no job because of the lockdown and had borrowed money from friends, acquaintances and from people in the building. Police said they have registered a case of accidental death report based on the postmortem report and are probing the case.

But Utkarsh’s family alleged police are trying to hide something and have not shared with them a copy of the medical report. Utkarsh’s father Vijayant Kishore said his son had called him at around 8.30 pm on Sunday and said he wanted to tell him something only on condition that he would not be scolded. “However, he didn’t share it then and said he would tell on Monday morning. But after 9.30 pm there was no activity on his WhatsApp. After Sunday midnight we came to know my son had committed suicide by hanging,” he said.

Utkarsh’s uncle Vikrant Kishore, who returned to Patna with the body on Tuesday morning and went to Muzaffarpur for cremation, said they will approach Muzaffarpur police for getting an FIR lodged for murder. The cremation was carried out on Tuesday. Vikrant alleged Mumbai police had neither recorded his statement nor taken a written complaint from him even after repeated attempts. “They had not roped in forensic experts for collecting fingerprints and other evidences. They had even not sealed the room in which the body was found. There were injury marks on one of his eyes, scratches on back and chest and a hanging mark behind the neck. He was murdered,” he alleged. Vikrant said before cremating, they preserved Utkarsh’s fingerprints and took photographs of the body.

Utkarsh’s maternal uncle Ranjit Singh told TOI, “Utkarsh used to call his father daily twice or thrice. He last spoke to his father at 9 pm on Sunday. He did not seem disturbed then. Also, we transferred money whenever he needed it. His father runs a business so there was no financial crisis. We also spoke to Utkarsh’s roommate who said he had purchased snacks in the evening and did not show signs of depression.”

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Television actor Akshat Utkarsh was found dead in his Andheri apartment on Sunday night. The police said the 26-year-old was found hanging from the ceiling fan. They suspect death by suicide, though no note was found in the house.

The actor’s family, however, has alleged negligence in probing the reasons and claimed that he was murdered. His parents took his body to their village in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, for the last rites.

The Amboli police have rejected claims of any foul play and have registered an accidental death report. They said preliminary questioning of the actor’s friends has revealed he was depressed due to lack of work since the lockdown. A probe is currently underway.

Police officials said Utkarsh lived with his girlfriend Sneha Chavan in the fourth-floor flat of Gokul Bhudargadh Co-operative Housing Society in the Andheri RTO lane. According to Chavan’s statement, he seemed normal on Sunday night until dinner. They went to sleep early, and when she woke up to use the washroom at around 11.30 pm, she found him dead. She immediately called the police, who rushed him to a private hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. His body was taken to Cooper Hospital for autopsy.

The post-mortem report has shown the cause of death as asphyxia from hanging. The samples of viscera and chemical analysis have been sent to the forensic laboratory in Kalina. A report is awaited.

An only child, Utkarsh had come to Mumbai two years ago after completing his MBA. The police said he spoke to his father just three hours before his death. Senior police inspector from Amboli police station, Someshwar Kamthe said besides the actor’s girlfriend and neighbours, the police have also recorded the statement of his uncle. He said preliminary enquiry has revealed that he was depressed due to lack of work.

Utkarsh’s family has alleged that the police haven’t even lodged an FIR in the case and aren’t probing the reasons seriously. They said the actor was looking for work but had also bagged a film project. The family claims that the actor’s father runs a business and sent him money whenever there was a need, and hence they do not believe the financial crisis angle.

The police said that everything is on record and they are conducting an in-depth inquiry. Officials said the family didn’t approach them with allegations or a complaint when they were in the city, and a formal complaint can still be lodged. A source said the actor’s girlfriend also told the police that he was financially strained and had borrowed money from several people as he had no income.