Pratyusha Banerjee Case: Bombay High Court Discharges Rahul Raj Singh After a Decade-Long Legal Battle -

Ten years after the “Balika Vadhu” star’s death, the court ends the abetment of suicide case against her former boyfriend.

MUMBAI: A case that has haunted Indian television for a decade has reached a turning point. On Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, the Bombay High Court discharged actor-producer Rahul Raj Singh from the abetment of suicide case linked to the death of television actor Pratyusha Banerjee, nearly ten years after she died.

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A single-judge bench of Justice Shivkumar Dige allowed Singh’s discharge application, which means he will not face trial. The ruling sets aside an August 2023 order of the Dindoshi sessions court, which had refused to let him off the case.

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A Case That Shocked Television

Pratyusha Banerjee, best known for playing Anandi in the long-running serial Balika Vadhu, died on April 1, 2016, at her apartment in Goregaon West, Mumbai. She was just 24. The news stunned fans, many of whom had grown up watching her on screen, and she had also appeared as a contestant on Bigg Boss 7.

After a complaint by Banerjee’s mother, the Bangur Nagar police registered a case against Singh, who was then her boyfriend. He was booked for abetment of suicide, assault and criminal intimidation. The Bombay High Court granted him anticipatory bail in July 2016, and the police filed a chargesheet in April 2018. Singh then sought discharge, but the sessions court rejected his plea in August 2023.

What the Sessions Court Had Said

When it refused discharge in 2023, the sessions court observed that the material on record suggested Banerjee was depressed because of alleged physical, emotional and financial harassment and exploitation. That finding was enough, at that stage, to let the case go forward to trial. The High Court has now taken a different view.

Two Very Different Versions

The case has long been a story of two competing accounts.

Banerjee’s mother alleged that Singh was possessive, assaulted her daughter on several occasions, drained her financially by misusing her funds, and did not allow her to speak freely to her own parents.

Singh has consistently denied these allegations. In his plea, filed through advocate Shreyansh Mithare, he claimed the couple planned to marry in December 2016. He said Banerjee was deeply disturbed and frustrated by what he called constant interference by her parents in her affairs. He also claimed that a rift arose when he tried to stop her from giving money to her parents, and alleged that her parents spent her earnings on a lavish lifestyle. Banerjee’s family has never accepted this version.

Singh’s side also argued that Banerjee was a well-educated, established actor who could have walked out of the relationship at any time, but chose to stay.

The Phone Call That Mattered

The key piece of evidence was the final phone conversation between Singh and Banerjee on the day of the incident. According to his lawyers, the recording shows Singh trying to console her, telling her repeatedly that he loved her and was on his way home. His counsel argued that this showed no intention on his part to abet her death.

The defence, led by senior advocate Aabad Ponda along with Mithare, also questioned how the FIR was registered when there was no suicide note, and argued that letting the case proceed to trial on such evidence would be an abuse of process. The court agreed that the material available was not enough to proceed with a trial. Notably, the same conversation had also been relied on by the High Court in 2016 when it granted Singh anticipatory bail.

What the Ruling Means

For Rahul Raj Singh, the legal ordeal that began in 2016 has effectively ended. He will not stand trial, and a case that hung over his career for ten years is now behind him. He has always maintained his innocence, and the court’s decision gives him a formal legal clearance, though public opinion on the matter may remain divided.

For Banerjee’s family, the order will be painful. After a decade of waiting, the family now sees the case close without a trial. It is possible they will consider challenging the decision in a higher court, though no such step has been reported so far. The Supreme Court had earlier, in an unrelated bail matter, declined to cancel Singh’s bail, so the family has already faced several legal setbacks.

For Indian law more broadly, the case is another reminder of how high the bar is for abetment of suicide. Courts have often said that the law requires clear evidence of instigation, conspiracy or intentional aid, and that conflict, harassment or a troubled relationship alone may not be enough. This ruling reinforces that line of thinking, and it will likely be cited in similar cases involving celebrities and non-celebrities alike.

The Bigger Conversation

Beyond the courtroom, Banerjee’s death opened a wider discussion in the television industry about mental health, financial pressure and the isolation many young actors face behind the glamour. Ten years later, that conversation continues. Fans still remember her warm smile as Anandi, and the question of how the industry can better support its young talent is as relevant as ever.

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What Happens Next

The next few weeks will show whether the family chooses to challenge the order. Legal experts say a detailed reading of the judgment will clarify exactly how the court weighed the evidence, including the final conversation. Until then, the High Court’s decision stands, and one of television’s most closely watched legal cases appears to be closed.

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