Police say they have found no new evidence or information in the alleged suicide case; say those spreading rumours will face defamation charges
Samiullah Khan (MID-DAY; August 13, 2020)

With rumours and conspiracy theories on social media linking the alleged suicides of Sushant Singh Rajput and his former manager Disha Salian, the Malvani police under the supervision of a DCP-rank office have started recording fresh statements. Police have also decided to book people spreading rumours about her death.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone 11, Mumbai, Vishal Thakur is personally overseeing the interviews that started on August 4, said a police officer on condition of anonymity. So far, the DCP, along with the assistant police commissioner and a senior police inspector have questioned more than 25 people in connection with Salian's death on the night of June 8.

During the initial investigation, police had questioned only nine people, including her family, fiancé Rohan Roy, her friends twice and the watchman of Regent Galaxy where she was living. They have been interviewed again to cross-check their previous statements, while several new people — neighbours and those who entered the building between June 4, when she moved to the society, and June 8, the night of which she allegedly jumped off the building — were also called for questioning.

Eyewitnesses, the doctors at Shatabdi Hospital where she was taken immediately after the incident, driver of the ambulance who transported her body from Shatabdi to Bhagwati Hospital in Borivli, and women witnesses [panch] who were present when the inquest panchnama are also among the new interviewees.

Police have also cross-checked the facts to debunk the rumours that her body was found naked after she allegedly jumped and that there were injury marks on her private parts, the officer said. The autopsy clarified that Salian died of multiple injuries to her head and other parts of her body, and that there were no injury marks on her body.

Nothing new yet
Police have discovered nothing new in the case, the officer said, adding there's no evidence supporting a link between the two alleged suicides.

"The Malvani police station investigating the Salian death case has CCTV footage of the Regent Galaxy building in Jankalyan Nagar, Malad West, from where Disha Salian died," the officer told mid-day. "Details of every person who entered the building from June 4 to June 8 were collected and all of them are in contact with Malvani police station. No politician or Bollywood actors are on that list."

After Rajput's body was found hanging at his Bandra home on June 14, several social media users started spreading rumours and theories linking his death to Salian's.

Rumours misleading people
"They are completely false and are misleading the people. So, the police are preparing to register a defamation case against such people. Also, Salian's parents had approached the police seeking their intervention, stating that such false theories on social media are tarnishing their daughter's image," the officer said.

"The investigation is still going on. If anyone has any authentic information related to this case, they can contact the police who will investigate the matter accordingly," said additional commissioner, north region, Dilip Sawant.

Nitasha Natu & Mohua Das (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 7, 2020)

Mumbai: Actor Samir Sharma (44), who has starred in the Hindi film ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’ besides popular television shows ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’ and ‘Woh Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki’, was found dead in his Malad (West) flat on Wednesday night. Police said he had hanged himself from the ceiling fan of his kitchen. Sharma, who had separated from his wife and lived alone, did not leave behind a suicide note.

Around 9 pm on Wednesday, a watchman of Sharma’s society glanced at his kitchen window and spotted him hanging. He alerted the society’s residents, who summoned the police. “The actor’s flat was untidy when we entered. A strong odour emanated from the body. We suspect he took the drastic step at least a day or two ago. His parents and sister are in Bengaluru and have been informed,” a police officer said. Police will go through the actor’s medical files and financial statements to investigate if he had any trouble.

The actor had moved into the Malad flat in December last year.

Sharma’s suicide, following those of actors Sushant Singh Rajput, Manmeet Grewal and Preksha Mehta, has put the focus once again on mental health.

While Malad police are still to ascertain the motive for the extreme step, mental health professionals say several factors during a pandemic and lockdown could push a person to the brink. “These could include financial stress, lack of employment options, major changes in lifestyle or loneliness coupled with fear of the future,” said psychiatrist Avinash De Sousa.

“It’s unfortunate that Sharma, who was a regular working actor and whose advances had been cleared, resorted to such a drastic step. He was talking to his fellow actors about restarting work this week. We wonder what devils he might have been battling,” said Amit Behl, actor and senior joint secretary of the Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA), which had formed an actors’ care group in 2016. Behl stressed reports of escalating mental health problems in the industry have prompted the association to appeal for help from corporate bodies to set up a round-the-clock helpline. “Our sister concern, Screen Actors Guild — American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, has a hotline. It’s time for us too,” he said.

His Instagram page describes him as an “actor, writer and poet”. On July 22, he had shared a post on mental health, mentioning Rajput’s alleged bipolar disorder as well. “World Health Organisation says one in three people is depressed. Suicide is preventable if help is sought,” said De Sousa. Malad police have recorded accidental death entry.
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The body of the 44-year-old actor, who featured in serials such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, was found hanging from the fan
Payal Gwalani, Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 7, 2020)

TV actor Samir Sharma, who featured in serials such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, was found dead at his Malad West residence on Thursday. The police said that his body was found hanging from the fan in the kitchen. Around 10 days ago, Sharma, 44, had posted a cryptic message on social media: “I built my pyre and slept on it, and with my fire, it was lit. And all that was me I burned in it, I killed my dream to wake up from it, Now, my dream is gone and with it, I woke up to ashes and I was in it, I took what was left and left it in a stream, and hoped my ashes this time have a better dream.”

Friends of Sharma said that he was waiting to resume shooting for TV serial Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke, in which he played Shaurya Maheshwari, father of one of the main protagonists, Kuhu.

According to the Malad police, the security guard at Sharma’s society in Chincholi Bunder locality was the one who alerted other residents. “The guard told us that he suspected something was wrong when the lights in Sharma’s kitchen were on for the past two days. He rang the doorbell and when nobody answered, he peeped in through the kitchen window,” a police officer said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishal Thakur said that a case of accidental death has been filed. “We haven’t found a suicide note,” the DCP said, adding that the body was in a slightly decomposed state and the house itself seemed like it had not been cleaned for a while.

Sonia Kour, who worked with Sharma in Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke, said that she had last spoken to him on July 21. “He was one of the few actors who had stayed back in Mumbai during the lockdown, instead of going home to his parents in Bengaluru because he wanted to be available when shoot resumed,” she said.

According to the actress, Sharma was “happily divorced” and had moved into the Malad apartment only in February after sharing a flat with friends for a long time. “He was hesitant to live alone, but once he moved in, he would send me photos of how he was doing up the apartment. He was very headstrong, giving up a corporate job to make his place in the industry. He was also a patient, intelligent, and educated man, who was a good photographer and a writer,” she said.

Sonia said that Sharma had recently been to Pune and she had planned to meet him once he was back in Mumbai. “He had gone to Pune to visit his cousins. During our last chat, I had been somewhat distraught because of the prolonged lockdown. He consoled me, assuring that shooting would start soon and that he would eat from my tiffin box again,” she said.

However, according to another friend, Samir had been under “mental distress”. Meanwhile, the body was sent for post-mortem. DCP Thakur refused to give any further comments saying the matter is under investigation.