Mumbai: The recent break-up between film and TV actor Tunisha Sharma and her boyfriend Sheezan Khan could have been one of the reasons for her to end her life, said Valiv police. Police on Sunday arrested Khan (27) and booked him under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code for abetment to suicide.

Sharma allegedly died by hanging on the sets of her serial in Kaman in Vasai (E) on Saturday, weeks before turning 21. A preliminary post-mortem examination report showed her cause of death due to hanging. Police are now awaiting details of the final report. Assistant commissioner of police Chandrakant Jadhav, who is supervising the case, said no ‘love-jihad’ angle has come to light in the investigation conducted so far. Also, there is no sign of coercion with Sharma in the post-mortem report, he added.

Police have sought the call details reports of Sharma’s and Khan’s phones to examine the WhatsApp messages exchanged between the two and what could have triggered her to take the extremestep. Sharma and Khan had met after working together in the serial Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul that went on air on August 22.

On Saturday morning, Sharma reported to the sets of Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul at Bhajanlal Studios on Kaman-Bhiwandi Link Road. During lunch break at 3 pm, she reportedly went to use the toilet in Khan’s make-up room. When she did not return till an hour later, staff went to call her for the shoot. She was found hanging inside the toilet.

Police questioned the staffers and co-stars, including Khan, on the sets. Police sources said Sharma used the crepe bandage that was on her sprained hand to end her life.

Sharma, who was active on social media, had recently posted her photograph with the caption “Those who are driven by their passion doesn’t stop”. She began her career by acting in serials and Hindi films alongside actors like Katrina Kaif and Vidya Balan.

On Sunday, Khan was produced before a local court which remanded him to three days’ police custody.

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The ex-boyfriend of actress Tunisha Sharma, 21, who allegedly died by suicide at a film studio in Vasai, was arrested for abetment to suicide late on Saturday. Sheezan Khan was also her co-star. Her relatives revealed she had a panic attack 10 days back after their break up and had been admitted to a private clinic at Mira Road. They blamed Khan as she had been traumatized since the break-up.

Vasai’s Waliv police earlier registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and converted the FIR into an abetment to suicide case. The police found that she had been using a bandage after she  injured her hand few days back and she used it to hang herself.

Tunisha’s mother Vanita Sharma, in her statement to the police, said her daughter shared everything about her affair with Khan and also about the break-up. A relative of Tunisha said, “We want justice for Tunisha. She was depressed because of her break-up with Sheezan Khan who is also her co-actor in a serial. She started her career in the film industry when she was just 14 years old. Her father died in 2011. She was very happy six months back when she revealed her relationship with Khan to her family. Around 15 days back she broke up with him and 10 days back she had a panic attack at home. We admitted her to a hospital. After treatment she was discharged and doctors told us to take care of her and that she should not undergo any stress.”

Vanita Sharma said, “On Saturday she was so happy when she left for her work. She also ate food with Khan in the make-up room. But what went wrong later I don’t know. Khan is responsible for my daughter’s death and should be punished for it. I want justice for my innocent daughter who was cheated by Khan.”

A source from Waliv police station said, “Khan told us that Tunisha was short-tempered. They had broken up for sometime only to solve all the issues between them as they would fight many a times even at the studio. So they had decided to stay away from each other for some days.” Before committing suicide, Tunisha had posted a positive thought on her Instagram account and written, “Those who are driven by their passion don’t stop.”

Deputy Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Jadhav said, “We didn’t find a suicide note from the studio. We have sent her mobile phone to the forensic lab to check chats, messages and call records. It was a suicide as the door was locked from inside and a crew member broke it open. We arrested the accused Sheezan Khan for abetment to suicide.” Khan is in police custody till December 28.

Tunisha Sharma made her acting debut with ‘Bharat Ka Veer Putra - Maharana Pratap’. She also worked in shows like ‘Ishq Subhan Allah’, ‘Gabbar Poonchwala’, ‘Sher-e-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh’, and ‘Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat’. She also appeared in Bollywood movies including ‘Fitoor’, ‘Baar Baar Dekho’, ‘Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh’, and ‘Dabangg 3’.

Vanita Sharma, Tunisha’s mother