Actor Tunisha’s Death: Boyfriend Says Broke Up With Her Over Media Coverage Of Shraddha-Murder, Mother Refutes Saying Sheezan Used Her Daughter

As the year ends, a controversy has erupted in the entertainment industry, which is already under the scanner since the mysterious death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. 

This time, the controversy involves television and Bollywood actress Tunisha Sharma, who was found dead during shooting three days ago, and her boyfriend Sheezan Khan.

Tunisha, 20, was found hanging from the ceiling of a washroom on 24 December on the sets of TV show Ali Baba: Dastan-e-Kabul in which she played a major character.

Her mother, Vanita, gave a complaint to the police accusing Khan of “using” her and driving her towards taking the extreme step.

The Waliv police of Vasai (East) near Mumbai in Maharashtra filed a first information report based on Vanita’s complaint. The police booked Sheezan under IPC section 306 (abetment of suicide), and arrested him. 

As per various reports, Sheezan told the police during interrogation that he broke up with Tunisha as they belonged to different religions and had an eight-year age gap.

He also told the police that he took the decision after watching the media coverage of Shraddha Walkar murder case as he “was disturbed by the atmosphere in the country”.

Vanita however has given a different theory on what led Tunisha to suicide. She said that Sheezan entered into a relationship with Tunisha despite being involved with another woman. He grew closer to her promising her marriage. He used her but broke up with her as he was not serious. Vanita said this in a video statement while demanding punishment for Sheezan.

Tunisha did not leave a suicide note. 

She was born in Chandigarh and started her career as a child actor in TV show Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap. She has also featured in Bollywood movies such as Baar Baar Dekho and Fitoor.

Khan is known for his role as young Akbar in the television show Jodha Akbar. He has appeared in many other shows such as Silsila Pyaar Ka, Ek Thi Rani Ek Tha Raavan, and Pavitra: Bharose Ka Safar.    

The Aaftab-Shraddha Case

On 11 November, the Delhi Police arrested Aaftab Ameen Poonawalla, 27, for murdering live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, 26.

As per police, Aaftab killed Shraddha in a premeditated murder on 18 May by strangling her, in Mehrauli area of the capital city. 

To dispose of the body, he bought a large refrigerator, chopped Shraddha’s body into 35 pieces and stored them in plastic bags. Over the next two weeks, he threw away the pieces in the nearby jungle in the nights. 

The murder came to light when Shraddha’s father Vikas Madan Walkar learnt from one of her friends that she had been unreachable over phone for several weeks, and filed a missing person complaint in Vasai (west) police station of Palghar district in Maharashtra. 

Both Aaftab and Shraddha lived in Vasai with their families when they came in contact with each other. 

They first moved in together in Vasai, much to the disapproval of her family that objected to Aaftab’s Muslim identity, before shifting to New Delhi a month before Shraddha’s murder.

Entertainment industry under scanner over suicides

Celebrity manager Disha Salian, 28, was found dead under mysterious circumstances on 8 June 2020. Her clients included Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead in suspected suicide a week later, on 14 June.

The industry has since been the subject of a huge public outrage over alleged malpractices and dark secrets.

Amid Tunisha’s case, a starling information has emerged where a mortuary staff who was present when Rajput’s body was brought in for post-mortem has said that his death was not suicide but murder.