Mumbai: Sheezan Khan, main accused in TV actor Tunisha Sharma’s alleged death by suicide, was ‘so disturbed by the atmosphere in the country that emerged after the gruesome murder of Shraddha Walkar’ that he decided to end their relationship, he told the police. During his first day in police custody, Sheezan Khan told Maharashtra police that he ended his relationship with Tunisha Sharma after seeing repercussions from the Shraddha Walkar case. Sheezan also told her that belonging to a different community stands in their way, as did their age gap. Sheezan is 28, and Tunisha was 20. No suicide note was recovered at the spot by the police.
Shraddha Walkar was murdered by her live-in boyfriend Aaftab Poonawala at their Delhi apartment, her body chopped into pieces and thrown at several places to hide evidence. The case triggered a massive controversy, with several top leaders raising the pitch on so-called ‘love jihad’ — a term used by some to allege a conspiracy by Muslims to marry Hindu women and coerce them into converting into Islam. Police sources however, said the probe in Tunisha’s case so far also does not point to any such angle.
Sheezan has also reportedly said that Tunisha had attempted suicide earlier as well, after they broke up. “Tunisha had recently tried to commit suicide a few days before her death, but at that time I saved her and told Tunisha’s mother to take special care of her,” police sources quoted Sheezan as saying.
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Tunisha’s mother has alleged that she was ‘cheated and used’ by her co-star Sheezan.
Sheezan Khan was arrested Sunday under charges of abetment to suicide after Tunisha’s mother filed a complaint against him. According to the FIR, the two actors, who were in a relationship, broke up 15 days back. It is being suspected that this left Tunisha upset and pushed her to the edge.
In a video message, Tunisha’s mother Vanita alleged that Sheezan had promised to marry the 20-year-old actor, but then broke up with her. “Despite being involved with another woman, he continued a relationship with Tunisha. He used her for three-four months. I just want to say that Sheezan should be punished, he should not be spared. I have lost my child,” a distraught Vanita said. She also thanked the media for its support.
The 20-year-old actor was found hanging in the washroom after a tea break while shooting December 24. Waliv police said they had to break open the door after she did not come out for a long time. Tunisha and Sheezan reportedly had lunch together the day she died.