Shashank Vyas: Pratyusha Banerjee deserves justice, and court’s statement is a positive development

Seven years after actor Pratyusha Banerjee’s death by suicide, a sessions court has stated that her then boyfriend, Rahul Raj Singh’s physical, emotional, financial harassment, and exploitation, pushed her to take the drastic step.

Bannerjee’s Balika Vadhu co-star, and her close friend, Shashank Vyas is happy with this development and calls it the first step towards her getting justice. “I have no words to express my emotions at the moment. I was so close to Pratyusha, and at the time of her death, I, along with a couple of her close friends, demanded proper investigation into the matter. Truth has to come out, and that is the most important thing. Now, this statement is a big step towards that direction, and towards the direction of her getting justice,” Vyas tells us.

Banerjee committed suicide in her rented apartment in Mumbai on April 1, 2016, after which, Raj was booked for abetting her suicide. He was granted anticipatory bail by Bombay High Court in July, 2016. Now, a session court, while rejecting the discharge plea of Raj, mentioned that the “state of being of Pratyusha as per the material, on record, was on account of the accused, whose harassment made her think about suicide”.

Vyas stresses that while authorities have taken years to hold Raj responsible in some way for Bannerjee’s suicide, her friends and family have been waiting for this day from day one. “Since the beginning, we have been saying that the truth has to come out. Kissi ke jaane ke peeche kuch toh kaaran hoga. She was at the peak of her career, visible everywhere and earning well. So, we need to know what suddenly happened that she took this step. This is a question which we asked then, and even now,” says the 36-year-old, confessing that even after seven years, the void still remains.

“I miss her every day. She was brilliant, and a far better actor than me. I saw her grow into this fantastic actor in front of my eyes. Had she been alive, she would have reached places. The thought [that she is no more] makes me sick and sad. When I see actresses performing and getting good roles, I feel a regret that she is not here. She was my first co-star and the first can’t be forgotten ever,” he ends.