It has been six months since Sheezan Khan stepped out of jail and he is gradually rebuilding his life. The actor became a topic of discussion after the alleged suicide of his Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul co-actor Tunisha Sharma on December 24, 2022, and his subsequent arrest (Tunisha’s mother accused him of abetting her daughter’s suicide). He talks to us about what he went through weeks after his release and people’s perception of him.

Arrested on December 24, 2022, Sheezan was released on bail on March 5 this year. He says, “Jail is a place that breaks you, not just once, but every day. Every minute feels endless. It is bizarre to see people fretting over trivial issues. Irrespective of the gravity of one’s problems, everything ceases to matter when you have a bed, blanket and pillow to sleep on. You can’t be more fortunate than that. I had to come out of that place sane.”

Difficult times serve as a litmus test for relationships, and Sheezan was shocked when he learnt that some people he considered close had abandoned him. He shares, “Many turned their backs on me because they were worried about their reputation, while others were busy sensationalizing the story instead of waiting for the truth to come out. In the process, my family was unfairly dragged into controversies. They received so much hatred for no fault of theirs. It was a very dark moment for me. However, I overcame that phase. Besides, I have nothing to hide and have never wronged anyone. All I knew was that my family and lawyer Shailendra Mishra were fighting for me. I had full faith in them and the judiciary.”

Talking about what he went through in the weeks after his release from jail, he shares, “I broke down when my bail plea was rejected in January, fearing that I could be languishing inside for a year or more. After being released on bail, I couldn’t sleep properly for 70 days. I felt like a stranger in my own home and would often cry for hours. I was diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I’m grateful to my family for standing by me through this ordeal.”

Such incidents can often be detrimental to one’s career. However, Sheezan feels fortunate that the industry people didn’t let their opinion of him get clouded by the incident. He says, “I feel blessed that I got a second chance in life. Fortunately, the industry’s perception of me didn’t change. Of course, even today, some people have an issue ki ‘yeh jee kaise raha hai, khush kaise hai, ya kaam kaise kar raha hai’. However, I don’t care about being judged by anyone except the court.”

After his arrest in December last year, the makers of Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul had no choice but to bring Abhishek Nigam as his replacement to play the new Ali. While that was inevitable, what upset Sheezan was being approached for a cameo appearance in the show shortly after his release. He recalls, “After I came out, I was offered a cameo in my own show; the one I nurtured from the beginning and put my heart and soul into. I was so hurt that it triggered a panic attack. I guess I was approached to give the much-needed hype to the show. I declined the offer.”

When we ask him about Tunisha, he says, “The place she held in my life cannot be described in words. Those who know us know that she meant the world to me. I am not afraid to admit that her untimely demise has left a void that can never be filled. If she had been here, she would have been my unbreakable shield. She’ll forever be my Tunni, someone I deeply cared for. A part of Sheezan has gone with her.”

He wants to put his past behind him and do well on the work front. “I look forward to the quashing of the case against me and have full faith in my lawyer Shailendra Mishra,” he says, adding, “As an artiste, I want to be challenged. There is a dearth of male-oriented shows on television and after Ali Baba, I have become greedy for quality work and substantial characters. I aspire to raise the bar with every performance.”

Producers Alind Srivastava and Nissar Parvez have quashed reports stating that a fire broke out on the set of their TV show Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul and destroyed it. “It happened on another set,” Parvez tells us.

Srivastava, while denying the reports, shares that the studio they are shooting in has 11 floors and the mishap happened on a deserted floor. “We were shooting outside [when the incident happened], thank God for that!” he adds.

According to reports, a fire broke out at Bhajanlal Studios situated in Kaman (Vasai) on the outskirts of Mumbai, around midnight on Friday. Flames were put out by 4 am on Saturday, a fire brigade official of the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation told PTI. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official said.

Actor Sayantani Ghosh, who plays a pivotal role in the show, says: “It’s like in Film City. It (Bhajanlal Studios) is a big studio with different floors and sets of different films and shows. I don’t know who is spreading false information. Our set is completely fine.”

The TV show, which stars Abhishek Nigam and Manul Chudasama, will go off air in June. Earlier, the show featured Sheezan Khan and late Tunisha Sharma. The latter died by suicide on set in December last year. A day later, Khan was arrested on charges of abetment. He walked out of jail on March 5.

(Inputs from Rishabh Suri)

Almost two months after he was released on bail in the Tunisha Sharma death case, things have started to look up for actor Sheezan Khan. He has been offered the stunt-based reality show, Khatron Ke Khiladi. However, the show involves travelling abroad and if he can do that will depend on whether the Vasai sessions court gives him the clearance when the matter comes up for hearing today.

Sheezan was arrested for abetment of suicide on December 25, 2022, based on a complaint filed by Tunisha’s mother, Vanita Sharma. A day earlier, the actress had died, reportedly by suicide, on the set of the TV show, Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul, which starred both Tunisha and Sheezan. The two were in a relationship and had split around two weeks before Tunisha’s death. After spending 70 days in jail, Sheezan finally got bail on March 5.

During his time in jail, Sheezan was replaced by actor Abhishek Nigam in Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul.

Tunisha’s mother reacted to the news of Sheezan being approached for Khatron Ke Khiladi and released a statement to us that said: “We will oppose Sheezan’s application today to release his passport. I have heard that Sheezan has been offered reality shows, including Khatron Ke Khiladi. What message are channels wanting to impart to society by giving a chance to someone who is an undertrial for a serious offense under section 306 of IPC and against whom the police have submitted a charge sheet of 524 pages? Log TV par apne favourite actors ko dekhkar unko apna idol bana lete hain aur unke jaise banne ki koshish karte hain. I request TV channels and makers to not glorify anyone who has not been proven innocent.”

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A month after getting bail in the Tunisha Sharma death case, the prime accused, actor Sheezan Khan, filed an application in Maharashtra’s Vasai court on Monday, seeking the return of his passport, which was seized during the investigation. The court will hear Khan’s application today.

According to sources, in his application, Khan stated that he needed to fly abroad for shootings.

The Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul actor was arrested in December last year and was under judicial custody before being released on bail from Thane Central Jail on March 5. The Vasai Court had ordered Sheezan’s bail with a Rs. 1 lakh surety bond and had asked the actor to submit his passport as well.

Khan was reportedly dating his co-star Tunisha, who died by suicide at the show’s set a fortnight after the duo broke up their months-long relationship. Within hours of the actor’s death, Khan was arrested on charges of abetment to suicide.

Tunisha’s mother, Vanita Sharma, levelled allegations against Khan, stating that he used to beat her daughter and force her to adopt Islamic practises.

However, Khan’s family had claimed that he had been falsely implicated in the case by the late actor’s mother and further claimed that the 21-year-old was like “family” to them.

Later, Khan’s sister and co-actor Falaq Naaz reportedly accused Tunisha’s mother of “neglecting” her, and the actor’s depression was due to her childhood trauma.

“Tunisha’s mother accepted that she had been neglecting her daughter and didn’t take care of her. Tunisha’s depression was due to her childhood trauma,” stated Falaq Naaz.

When Sheezan Khan walked out of the Thane Central Jail on Saturday, 70 days after he was arrested for abetment to suicide in the Tunisha Sharma death case, his mother and sisters were eagerly waiting for him to return home. They hugged and cried as the family reunited after over two months.

Speaking exclusively to Bombay Times, Sheezan said, “Today, I understand the true meaning of freedom and I can feel it. I was in tears the moment I saw my mother and sisters and I am so happy to be back with them.”

Sheezan said, “Finally, I am with my family! It’s an overwhelming feeling. All I want to do for a few days is lie in my mother’s lap, eat food cooked by her and spend time with my sisters and brother.”

Sheezan was arrested on December 25, a day after his Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul co-actor Tunisha died of suicide on the sets of the show. The two were said to be in a relationship and had apparently split just 15 days before her death.

When asked about Tunisha, Sheezan said, “I miss her and if she was alive, she would have fought for me.”

Sheezan’s sister, actress Falaq Naaz, said, “We are happy that he is back. We will need some time to process this. Sheezan is finally out, and we are grateful to everyone who stood by us.”

Their lawyer, Shailendra Mishra, added, “It’s nice to see the family together after more than two months. Our case regarding the quashing of the FIR against Sheezan is scheduled to come up for hearing in the High Court on March 9.”

Sheezan Khan, who was arrested on December 24, 2022, for abetment to suicide in the Tunisha Sharma case, was granted bail by Vasai Sessions Court yesterday. Tunisha reportedly died by suicide on December 24 on the set of the TV show, Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul. Sheezan, who played the lead opposite Tunisha, was arrested following a complaint by her mother, Vanita Sharma.

His lawyer, Shailendra Mishra, told us, “Sheezan has been granted bail on a surety of Rs. 1,00,000. All I can say is that there is no evidence against him. This is just the beginning, and we will fight it out till the end.”

The case regarding the quashing of the FIR against Sheezan is scheduled to come up for hearing in High Court on March 9. Sheezan’s sister Falaq Naaz says, “Sach ki jeet hui hai, and we are certain that we will be granted relief by the High Court as well. We are waiting for Sheezan to return home after 70 days.”

On behalf of Vanita Sharma, Tunisha’s uncle Pawan Sharma said, “It’s a legal process. However, this won’t deter us and we will fight till Tunisha gets justice. Jab tak insaaf nahi milega, hum aise hi fight karenge. Our case is strong.”

Mumbai: Actor Sheezan Khan knew about co-star Tunisha Sharma’s anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) issues and had even advised her to seek medical help, yet got into a relationship with her and broke up against her wishes. Over 60 days after Khan (28) was arrested for abetment of suicide (Tunisha’s), Vasai’s Valiv police in their chargesheet submitted in local court on Thursday stated that the sudden break-up led to Tunisha’s emotional breakdown. She tried to reason with him, but he fought with her and caused her mental trauma, the document, running over 500 pages, said.

Tunisha (21) was found hanging in the washroom of Khan’s make-up room in a Naigaon studio on December 24, 2022. Both were lead actors in the serial Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul. Khan (28) has been in Thane jail since December 31. His plea for quashing the FIR against him is likely to be heard by the Bombay high court on February 23. His bail plea is listed before the HC for March 14. His bail was rejected by the Vasai court on January 13.

The serial’s shooting began in June. In October, Tunisha confided in her mother, Vanita, about her relationship with co-star Khan. She told Vanita she visited Khan’s Malad home and his mother and sisters — both TV actors — treated her well. Vanita in her police statement (part of the chargesheet) said Khan visited their Mira Road house three to four times. Khan told Vanita he loved Tunisha. Vanita saidthat about two weeks before the suicide, Tunisha was upset and crying, and told her Khan had broken up. Vanita said she called Khan’s mother, who said she too was upset.

The chargesheet contains a statement of the doctor who treated Tunisha in a Kandivli hospital where she went after a panic attack on December 16. Her physical and mental health was poor, the doctortold Vanita. Tunisha was discharged the same evening but kept crying, asking Vanita to speak to Khan. On December 23, Vanita met Khan, who told her and also Tunisha he will not reconsider getting back.

The chargesheet includes statements of Tunisha’s costars, a paper chit scribbled by Tunisha, and CCTV footage showing Khan leaving his room and Tunisha following him minutes before her death by suicide. It also contains WhatsApp chats obtained from Tunisha’s phone showing the two in a relationship and their break-up (Tunisha continued to message him after the break-up, but Khan did not respond) and deleted chats of Khan in which he chatted with other women.

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Police have filed a chargesheet in the case related to the alleged suicide of actor Tunisha Sharma in a court in Palghar district of Maharashtra, an official said. Her co-actor and ex-boyfriend Sheezan Khan (28) was arrested for alleged abetment of suicide. Valiv (a place in Palghar district near Mumbai) police filed the chargesheet in the Vasai sessions court on Thursday, the local police official said, without disclosing further details. It contains call details, chats and other communications exchanged between Sharma and Khan, he said.

Sharma (21) was found hanging in the washroom of Khan’s makeup room on December 24 last year. The incident took place on the set of a TV serial near Valiv. Khan is currently in judicial custody. Sharma and Khan, who were in a relationship but later parted ways, were co-stars in the TV show Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul.

Replacements aren’t easy. For Abhishek Nigam, who agreed to step into Sheezan Khan’s shoes to play the new Ali Baba on TV, it was even tougher. Sheezan is currently in judicial custody. He was arrested on December 25 for abetment to suicide of his co-actor Tunisha Sharma. On December 24, the actress reportedly died by suicide in her make-up room on the set of their show Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul, which has now been renamed Ali Baba - Ek Andaaz Andekha - Chapter 2. The unit resumed the shoot five days after the tragic incident and the makers began hunting for a new male lead, which ended with Abhishek.

In an exclusive interview with BT, Abhishek speaks about the responsibility on his shoulders, his apprehensions before taking up the show and the bond he shared with Tunisha, with whom he had worked in a show earlier. Excerpts:

Of course, there were apprehensions. Even if it is a regular role, one contemplates the pros and cons of the offer. I sought everyone’s advice and realised that I didn’t have any reason to decline the offer. The circumstances have been unfortunate, but we make a show with a lot of love and hard work. Iske peeche ek insaan ka haath nahi hota, bahut logon ki kadi mehnat hoti hai. I went ahead with that emotion. The previous lead couple has done an amazing job. I realised that I would have to put in a lot of hard work while playing this character and I took the plunge with that resolution. I am sure our dedication will pay off.

Uncomfortable se zyada, responsibility wala khayaal haavi tha. I was nervous and scared initially because the decision to come on board was made overnight. Whenever I was nervous, the director and the cast encouraged me. Everyone has been supportive, warm and understanding. They didn’t make me feel like a newcomer.

While we have to experience the pain, life is also about moving on. Everyone is working hard and trying to keep the atmosphere on the set positive. We are looking at the bigger picture and thinking about the number of people dependent on the show for a living. Of course, mushkil toh hoti hai par usse aagey nikalna hai.

Irrespective of the nature of the replacement, comparisons are normal and inevitable. The audience finds it difficult to warm up to a new face. However, if you are diligent and portray the character with conviction, you will strike a chord with the viewer. Our thought process has been to infuse a fresh approach to the show. Though the core emotion has been retained, my character is different from the previous one. It is more energetic and quirkier.

I worked with Tunisha in Hero - Gayab Mode On and later, in a music video. She was fun-loving and had great energy. I knew her for many years. She was hardworking, talented, a quick learner and easy to work with. I was in shock and disbelief when I heard the news of her untimely demise. It took me a lot of time to come to terms with it. She had a bright future and if she were alive, she would have made it big in the industry. All my memories of Tunisha are of her smiling around me. I had worked with Sheezan long ago. He is also hardworking, focused and dedicated to his craft and fitness.

I’d refrain from sharing my opinion, as I don’t want it to affect the case. A lot is going on already. I don’t want to give an opinion that results in something unwanted.

It’s confirmed! Sheezan Khan has been replaced by Abhishek Nigam to play Ali Baba in Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul. Informs a source associated with the show, “The story currently revolves around a masked man and it will be revealed that he is Abhishek.”

Talking about how the story will roll out, the source reveals, “It will be shown that Ali was gravely injured and was healed, after which he got a new face through an ancient technique.”

The show, Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul, has been in the news after the tragic death of the lead actress Tunisha Sharma. The 20-year-old reportedly died by suicide in a make-up room on the set of the show. 

Subsequently, Sheezan Khan was arrested for abetment to suicide following a complaint lodged by Tunisha’s mother, Vanita Sharma. The actor is currently in judicial custody, and an order regarding his bail plea is expected to be passed on January 13.

When 20-year-old Tunisha Sharma died tragically on December 24 and a day later, her co-actor Sheezan Khan was arrested for abetment to suicide, everyone thought that their TV show Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul would be pulled off air abruptly. The two were the lead actors and given that television shows barely have banked episodes, it would be difficult for the show to continue.

But the production house and channel have decided to continue the show and have managed to do that by focusing on other actors and different tracks. A channel official confirmed, “The show is definitely not going off-air. It will continue.”

Tunisha reportedly died by suicide on the sets of Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul in Naigaon. Her mother lodged a complaint against Sheezan, post that the was arrested and is currently in judicial custody.

The hunt for lead actors is on, but we hear that Tunisha’s character will not be replaced. Instead, they will bring in someone to play a new character. For the male lead, Alibaba, which was essayed by Sheezan, there is buzz that Abhishek Nigam is being considered. However, Abhishek’s mother has denied the news.

Meanwhile, the cast and crew are glad that the makers have decided to continue with the show. They are currently shooting at a different set located three kilometres away from the former. “It is not easy to shoot post the tragedy, but life has to go on, and we are glad that the production house and channel have decided to continue with the show,” said a cast member.

Arrested Sheezan Khan’s family — (from left) mother Kehkashan, and sisters Falaq and Shafaq — address reporters on Monday

Mumbai: A day before television actor Tunisha Sharma was found hanging in the washroom of co-actor Sheezan Khan’s green room on December 24, she had allegedly shown a picture of a noose to her fellow actors. Her mother had been alerted about it and urged not to leave her daughter alone, claimed Khan’s family on Monday.

Sharma, 20, and Khan, 28, played the lead roles in the serial, Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul, which was being shot at Bhajanlal Studios in Naigaon. They had been in a relationship when the serial went on air in August, but apparently broke up in early December.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Khan’s family said Sharma had shared the noose picture from her cellphone with co-actors Parth Zutshi and Ayush Shrivastava. When they asked her about it, she passed it off as a joke. Khan, who learnt about the noose, called Sharma’s mother Vanita the same day and asked her not to leave Sharma alone.

“Despite that, Tunisha came to the set alone on December 24 and was found hanging hours later,” said Khan’s sisters Falaq Naaz and Shafaq Naaz, both TV actors. Statements of Zutshi and Shrivastava have been recorded by the Valiv police.

Khan, who was among the three persons who had rushed Sharma to hospital in Naigaon, was arrested the same day based on Vanita’s abetment complaint.

Khan’s family alleged that they had asked Vanita time and again to address Sharma’s obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) issues. Vanita had told reporters on Friday that her daughter suffered from OCD. Khan’s family said on December 16, Sharma had suffered a panic attack; she was admitted to a hospital in Borivali and administered saline. They claimed Sharma had panic attacks every time she came in contact with a person known to Vanita.

Sharma, they claimed, was close to them as she had a strained relationship with Vanita. “She had not gone back to her Mira Road home since December 21,” said the sisters.

The sisters said instead of focusing on mental health issues, they were subjected to charges of ‘love jihad’ and ‘conversion’. Allegations by Sharma’s mother that she was forced to wear a hijab and speak Urdu were baseless as her serial role required that.

The family called Vanita’s allegations of Khan slapping Sharma baseless. “Vanita has been in and out of our house. If my son had slapped Tunisha, she should have questioned him or at least brought it up with us,” said Khan’s mother. Alleging that her son was falsely implicated, she asked if Vanita was waiting to see her son commit suicide in jail.

Sheezan Khan has moved the Vasai court for bail. His plea will be heard on Saturday. Khan was sent to judicial custody last Saturday, with relief against cutting his long hair till Monday. The Thane jail authorities submitted every inmate’s hair has to be cut as per the prison manual, and only Sikhs are exempt. The matter will be heard on Tuesday.

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Mumbai: Seeking further remand of actor Sheezan Khan, the Valiv police on Friday told the Vasai court that the accused continued to show concern for his co-star Tunisha Sharma despite having broken up, which made it difficult for her to move on. Khan’s police custody was extended till Saturday based on Tunisha’s mother Vanita’s supplementary police statement alleging physical assault of her daughter by Khan.

Khan (28) and Tunisha (20) were lead actors in television serial Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul which went on air in August. They began dating soon after. The couple broke up in early December but continued to shoot for the serial at Bhajanlal Studios in Naigaon. Tunisha was found hanging in the studio washroom of Khan’s room on December 24. Khan was arrested the next day for abetment to suicide after Vanita filed a police complaint against him.

On Friday, cops seeking five-day custody extension told the court that Khan knew about Tunisha’s anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) issues. Despite that, he got into a relationship with her and later broke up without her consent. Police told the court that Tunisha would message Khan even after their breakup. Khan, however, had ignored her messages.

Vanita, who recorded her supplementary statement with the police on Thursday, told mediapersons that if Khan had a problem with Tunisha he should have approached her. “I would have told Tunisha to leave the serial,” she said.

The mother alleged Tunisha had seen his chats with other women and had questioned him on the sets of their shoot. He slapped her and broke up. Tunisha, the mother said, had confided in her about her relationship with Khan and her plans to marry him. Police said they are probing if Khan slapped Tunisha.

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The Waliv police, who are investigating the death of actress Tunisha Sharma, have said that she was suffering from anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In their remand application, the police have also claimed that her ex-boyfriend and co-star Sheezan Khan was aware that Tunisha was very sensitive and had mental issues, but still got into a relationship with her and then broke up, which could be the possible reason for her suicide.

The Waliv police have demanded 4 days’ police custody for Khan from the Vasai court on Friday, but the court remanded him in one-day police custody. The police also suspect that Khan was involved in multiple affairs and have found chats related to them. All these girls’ statements will be recorded.

According to the Waliv police, Tunisha was in a relationship with Khan for many months.

Tunisha’s uncle Pawan Sharma told mid-day that her mother Vanita had told the police that Tunisha had anxiety and OCD and was undergoing treatment for the same.

The police said Khan, who was aware of her mental issues, had many a times told Tunisha to undergo treatment. They claimed Khan knew that she wouldn’t be able to take it if they broke up.

A police officer told the court, “Sheezan Khan knew Tunisha was a sensitive person, and had anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. But he still got into a relationship with her and then broke up with her, disturbing her. We suspect this caused her to commit suicide.”

“After the break-up Khan didn’t leave Tunisha alone and they also worked together. On the set Khan kept looking after her and spoke to her very politely. Due to this Tunisha was unable to move on and was in depression,” the police told the court.

The police have scanned the CCTV camera footage at the studio and found crucial evidence that before allegedly committing suicide, Tunisha had talked to Khan for some time. In the footage the police saw Tunisha followed Khan into his make-up room. Later she came out and locked herself in her make-up room and hanged herself.

The Waliv police told the court, “We asked Khan what conversation went on between him and Tunisha but he is not cooperating and has been changing his statements. This conversation is very important for us.”

The police also found chats between Tunisha and Khan after their break-up. Khan didn’t reply to her messages on WhatsApp. The chats clearly show they broke up and police suspect this is the main reason for the suicide.

The police are also trying to recover the chats Khan had with a girl after the death of Tunisha and which he deleted. They have found call records showing he talked to a girl for more than 2 hours after Tunisha’s death.

Vanita Sharma, mother of Tunisha, has alleged that Khan slapped Tunisha on the set on December 21. She has also alleged that Khan was teaching her Urdu. The police are investigating the case through all angles.

Clinical psychologist explained what is OCD and what could have gone wrong in Tunisha’s case. “OCD is a result of anxiety. They go hand-in-hand. In Tunisha’s case, her anxiety was caused by a very poor attitude towards love and loving. When one erroneously believes that one must be loved, and one’s love has to be reciprocated in the way one demands it, one feels hopelessly destroyed when the other rejects or neglects the love slob,” said Varkha Chulani, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, Lilavati Hospital.

“Just because one dates someone who is anxious doesn’t mean that s/he cannot leave that person. It is time for us as parents to teach sensible ideas of love to our children. It is important to emphasize that the world doesn’t revolve around them. That they have to get used to being rejected whether at workplace or in love. We need to build more resilient youth. And that can only be done when we teach our children deprivation, tolerance, acceptance, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc.” she added.

A CCTV footage that shows Tunisha Sharma being carried into the hospital by crew members and Sheezan Khan; (right) Dr Honey Mittal said Tunisha Sharma was brought dead to the hospital. Pic/Hanif Patel

Actor and former boyfriend of actress Tunisha Sharma, Sheezan Khan, kept telling the doctor at the hospital where she was taken after she allegedly committed suicide, to save her somehow.

mid-day has recovered CCTV camera footage from the hospital that shows Khan and crew members of the serial they were shooting, carrying her inside. The doctor told mid-day that Khan kept crying and requesting him to save her.

Tunisha allegedly committed suicide in a Vasai studio on Saturday afternoon where the television serial, Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul, was being shot. The Waliv police later arrested her co-star Khan.

According to the police, Tunisha had lunch with Khan at the studio and later locked herself in the make-up room. The crew members knocked on the door of the make-up room but she didn’t open the door. Crew members then broke open the door and found her hanging from the ceiling.

Dr Honey Mittal of F&B hospital at Vasai said, “On Saturday around 4:10 pm, about 3-4 people arrived at the hospital with Tunisha Sharma. Her co-actor Sheezan Khan was also with them and he told me to save her anyhow. He was crying continuously. But her body was cold and when we checked her eyes there was no movement. We also did a confirmatory test and an ECG but we found a flat line and declared her dead. We also found a strangulation mark on her neck during the physical examination. Someone strangulated her or she hanged herself. We informed the cops about the body.”

“Khan was there late and crying continuously. He kept requesting me to save her. Tunisha was dead when she was brought to the hospital,” Dr Mittal further said.

Tunisha’s funeral was held on Tuesday in Vasai. Her uncle said, “The police are investigating the case and after December 28 everything will come out.”

Tunisha Sharma’s Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul co-actor Sheezan Khan – who has been arrested for allegedly abetting her suicide – reportedly told investigators his relationship with Tunisha lasted for three months.

A Vasai police official told a news agency on Monday, “Sheezan told the police he and Sharma were in a relationship which lasted for three months as they found it was not working out. Sheezan told us there was an age gap between the two as he was 27 years old and Tunisha was 21 years old.”

Tunisha reportedly died by suicide on the set of her TV show, Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul, on December 24. Following her death, her mother Vanita Sharma lodged a complaint against Sheezan, and he was arrested for abetment of suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code. Sheezan was produced before the Vasai Court and sent to four-day police custody.

A team from a Forensic Science Laboratory in Mumbai also visited the set of the TV show where Tunisha was found dead and seized various materials including a crepe bandage, which she allegedly used to hang herself, and Sheezan’s mobile phone and clothes, which he wore on the day of the incident, a police official said.

Meanwhile, Tunisha’s last rites were performed yesterday at Mira Road.

— With inputs from PTI

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Family members of Sheezan issued a statement, saying he is cooperating in the investigation. “We have full faith in the Indian judiciary system, and Sheezan is cooperating with the Mumbai Police through all the procedures. We will talk about this when the time is right, but for now, please allow us the privacy which our family deserves right now,” PTI quoted a statement issued by Khan’s sisters Shafaq Naaz, Falaq Naaz and other members of the family, as saying.

Mumbai: Actor Tunisha Sharma, who allegedly committed suicide on the sets of her serial in Vasai on December 24, was not taking any medication for depression, police said on Monday. They further said there were no leads on whether she was undergoing counselling for it. The actress had opened up about her fight with depression in interviews.

Her lead co-star in the serial Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul, Sheezan Khan (28), was arrested on Sunday for abetment to suicide after Tunisha’s mother Vanita blamed him for her death. Vanita claimed her daughter and Khan were in a relationship for over three months, but broke up two weeks ago after she discovered that he was cheating on her. She further said Tunisha was serious about the relationship as Khan had promised her marriage.

Both the families knew about the relationship and the breakup, police said, adding that the couple had gone on a holiday after their serial evoked a positive response from viewers. Meanwhile, cops have recorded the statements of nine persons, including the couple’s co-stars. They were told that Tunisha had gone about with her shoot as usual on December 24 before she was found hanging. Her final rites will be held on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, All India Cine Workers Association chief Suresh Gupta has sought an SIT probe into Tunisha’s death.

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Actress Tunisha Sharma’s tragic demise came as a shock to her family, friends and the industry. Her mother, Vanita Sharma, is not able to come to terms with what has happened. When we spoke to her, she said Tunisha’s Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul co-actor, Sheezan Khan, was responsible for her daughter’s state of mind. She added, “Sheezan had promised marriage to my daughter aur phir usko dhokha diya.”

Tunisha’s mother said, “She used to visit his residence and was very close to his mother.” In a video that went viral yesterday, Vanita Sharma reiterated this and also alleged that Sheezan was already involved with someone, when he got close to Tunisha.

Twenty-year-old Tunisha reportedly died by suicide on the set of her TV show, Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul, on December 24. Following her death, her mother lodged a complaint against Sheezan and he was arrested for abetment of suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code. Sheezan was produced before the Vasai Court and sent tofour-day police custody.

Sheezan’s lawyer, Shailendra Mishra, said, “Both families are victims at this point. Let the right time come and we will address the matter, but this is not the right time. Death is a painful situation, and everyone needs to honour the privacy of the affected families and give them the space to mourn.”

He further added, “I have certain evidence to prove that they (Tunisha and Sheezan) had moved on. Accusations have been levelled against Sheezan and the police are investigating the case. I am confident that an innocent guy has been arrested.”

Tunisha’s last rites will be performed in the city today.

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The TV industry is still reeling under the shocking death of Tunisha Sharma on the sets of her show Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul. The 20-year-old actress reportedly died by suicide; she hanged herself in a make-up room on the sets in Naigaon on Saturday.

The Waliv police has arrested her co-star Sheezan Khan under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code. Tunisha and Sheezan were apparently in a relationship, but in the past few days, there was trouble between them. Following her death, her mother lodged a complaint against Sheezan, after which he was arrested. Yesterday, he was produced at Vasai Court and has been sent to fourday police custody.

Tunisha’s co-actors from Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul still can’t believe what has happened. Rumi Khan said, “I am shocked! How could this happen to someone who seemed absolutely fine just a few hours earlier? On Saturday, I was not shooting, but we had a quick chat over messages around 2 pm. She was like a daughter to me. She had lost her father when she was very young and she used to tell me that I resemble him. We shared a special bond and I cared for her. She was a sweet and kind soul and my heart goes out to her mother. ”

After the incident on Saturday, the shoot of Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul came to a halt. The future of the show, too, seems uncertain, given the fact that Tunisha and Sheezan were the lead actors. However, the cast and crew are hoping that the shoot will resume at some point. “It is going to take some time for the production house to decide how to go about getting the show back on track,” said a cast member.

Tunisha was active on social media. A few hours before her death, she had posted a video on her Instagram stories, where she could be seen sitting in a chair getting her make-up done. “#BTS #STAYTUNED,” she wrote. She had also posted a picture from the set around the same time, with a caption that read, “Those who are driven by their Passion Doesn’t stop (sic).”

J Karthik, who plays the lead antagonist on Tunsiha-Sheezan’s TV show Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul expressed shock saying, “If you see the videos Tunisha has posted just before the incident, it is hard to believe that someone in that frame of mind would take such a step. It looks like there is a hidden story behind this and I hope the investigation leads to some clear results.”

Kartik, who is currently in Bengaluru, has not been shooting for the show for the past few weeks. Talking about Tunisha and Sheezan, he said, “She came across as a very quiet, reserved girl and seemed very focused on her work. Tunisha and Sheezan were friends and there was no talk about a relationship of any sort that I am aware of. They would hang out together during lunch, they were jovial and happy.”

As a senior on the sets, Karthik feels that youngsters today find it difficult to deal with pressure. “There is this urgency and immediate need for instant gratification among youngsters, which can be disturbing. Everyone wants to do well and better than others, there is competition, but the competition is not healthy. They are in the rat race, but are unable to deal with the pressure that comes along with it. It is sad that there is nobody around who can spare some time and give a bit of advice when a person is feeling low. Everyone is fighting for survival; nobody wants to get involved in anybody else’s issues. It is a lonely world for someone so young and impressionable, and that can be scary.”

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