Actor Sheezan Khan's family claimed on Monday, 2 January, that he was falsely being implicated in the death of Tunisha Sharma by the late actor's mother. During a press conference, Sheezan's mother and two sisters said that Tunisha was "like their family member", alleging that her mother used to force her to work even as she wanted to enjoy life.
Tunisha was found dead on the sets of her show, Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul, near Vasai in Maharashtra on 24 December. Sheezan was arrested on 25 December on charges of abetment to suicide.
What did Tunisha's mother allege? Last week, Tunisha's mother Vanita Sharma claimed that her daughter's death could be a case of murder. She accused Sheezan and his family of forcing Tunisha to convert. Vanita also alleged that Tunisha had checked Sheezan's phone and found his WhatsApp chats with some other woman. Vanita further alleged that when Tunisha confronted Sheezan about it, he slapped her.
How did Sheezan's family respond? Reacting to the allegations, Sheezan's sister Falaq Naaz, also an actor, said Tunisha was "like their family member". "We never forced anyone to do anything," she said. Sheezan's mother added that Tunisha's mom should produce evidence for the allegations that she was making against them.
Responding to allegations that Sheezan had slapped Tunisha the former's mother told the media, ""Why had Vanita Sharma not complained to us or slapped Sheezan?"
"We also want justice for Tunisha, but her mother is trying to falsely implicate Sheezan in the case", she further told the media.
"We had decided to give Tunisha a surprise on her birthday on 4 January. Her mother also knows she was like our younger sister. We had spent around six months with Tunisha which she enjoyed, and we are proud of it," Sheezan's mom said.
On allegations that Tunisha was forced to wear a hijab Sheezan's mom told the media, "We never asked her to do anything." Referring to a picture of Tunisha that has gone viral, one of Sheezan's sister claimed that the actor wore the headscarf for a shoot.
"We just want to say Tunisha was like our family member, and we were taking care of her," she said.
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