Return of body to Mumbai may be delayed; Dubai Police tells Indian Embassy ‘clearance’ from authorities awaited
Bollywood actor Sridevi, 54, died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai Government said on Monday, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues. The latest report of accidental drowning only deepens the mystery surrounding her death. Her family has not commented beyond their initial statement on Sunday to announce the death, and has requested the media to not contact them as they deal with the tragedy.
In the meanwhile, the Dubai Police informed the Indian Embassy that a “clearance” was awaited before it could release the body of the actor. Maintaining that the Embassy and Consulate are working closely with the authorities here to expedite the return of Sridevi’s body, Indian envoy to the UAE Navdeep Suri told PTI that they have been informed that the Dubai Police can release it only after receiving another “clearance”. However, Suri did not say what type of “clearance” was required. “It is their internal process. We do not know,” Suri said.
The Dubai Government said in a tweet that police have transferred the case to the “Dubai Public Prosecution”, which will carry out regular legal procedures followed in such cases. “Following the completion of post-mortem analysis, the Dubai Police headquarters on Monday stated that the death of Sridevi was due to drowning in her hotel apartment’s bathtub following loss of consciousness,” the Dubai Government’s media office said on Twitter.
It is not clear what caused Sridevi to lose consciousness, and whether the initial report of her death due to cardiac arrest still holds.
Her death, which was first reported around 3 am on Sunday in India, sent shock waves across the country with those who knew her at a loss to explain how she could have suffered cardiac arrest at such a young age.
The Dubai-based Gulf News said in a report that the actor was under the influence of alcohol. She fell into the bathtub and drowned, it added. However, this could not be independently confirmed. Gulf News also attached a copy of the UAE Government’s autopsy report on its Twitter handle. The report, citing accidental drowning as the cause of death, has a stamp of the “Ministry of Health UAE” and the director of preventive medicine, Dubai, Dr Sami Wadie.
Sridevi was in Dubai for a family wedding, and had stayed back after the ceremonies. Her husband had flown back to Mumbai with their younger daughter Khushi, but he had returned to Dubai to surprise her, according to Khaleej Times. He was reportedly in the room when Sridevi went to the bathroom to get ready for a dinner, according to Khaleej Times. It said Kapoor discovered her unconscious in the bathtub filled with water. She was rushed to hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.
Shocked celebrities and fans of the Bollywood diva flocked to the residence of her brother-in-law Anil Kapoor, as they tried to come to grips with the sudden death of the versatile actor who had ruled over hearts and Bollywood for decades.
Mourners gathered at the Kapoor bungalow, where Sridevi and her husband Boney Kapoor’s daughters, Khushi and Jhanvi, have been staying since Monday.
Among those who visited the Kapoors to express their grief were filmmakers Farah Khan, Karan Johar, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani and others such as Resul Pookutty, Saroj Khan and Honey Irani. Shekhar Kapur, who directed Sridevi in the mega-hit, Mr India, was also present, as were actors Tabu, Ritesh Deshmukh, Genelia Deshmukh, Akshara, Shruti Haasan, Ameesha Patel, Divya Dutta and Sara Ali Khan. Actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada and former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh were among the visitors.
Police officials at Anil Kapoor’s house said as many as 150 people from Karnataka came to pay homage to Sridevi, while another group from Telangana gathered outside the actor’s lokhandwala residence. Fans from Rajasthan and other parts of India had also arrived.
At Kapoor’s house, police have increased security and cordoned off the area to keep fans at a distance.