Entertainment
Television fraternity mourns loss of ‘younger brother’ Sidharth

The passing away of Sidharth Shukla due to a heart attack at the age of 40 has surely left the entire television fraternity in shock. He was a multi talented personality who not only did daily soaps but also hosted reality shows besides Bollywood projects.
He was best known for his role of ‘Shivraj Shekhar’ in ‘Balika Vadhu’. Even after his demise he is being remembered for the way he showed his acting skills in the serial. Besides this he also did ‘Dil Se Dil Tak’, ‘Bigg Boss 13’, ‘Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7’ and hosted shows like ‘Savdhaan India’ and also did projects with Karan Johar like ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’.
Director Ashish Shrivastav who directed him in ‘Dil Se Dil Tak’ said: “The news of Sidharth’s passing is just terrible. He was such a lively person. He was full of life and he was a very straightforward person. He did not shy away from saying what he felt, and I liked that quality in him. I have directed him in the first few episodes of ‘Dil Se Dil Tak’ and we shared a good equation. It was very shocking news and I still can’t believe he is no more.”
Actor Eijaz Khan who is a close industry friend of Sidharth said that he was like a brother to him. Though they never worked together, Eijaz has met him a number of times in social events. He shared: “He was like a younger brother and I loved him so much. I looked up to his understanding, approach and fairness. I just pray for strength and patience for his family.”
Actress Roop Durgapal, who was also part of the show ‘Balika Vadhu’ and played Sidharth’s sister, was understandably saddened by the news.
“When I heard the news, I couldn’t believe my ears. I thought I heard the wrong name. I really don’t know how to react to this. I feel numb, shocked and very sad. May his soul rest in peace and may God give strength to his mother. I was in touch with Sidharth even after the show ended. Even though we didn’t meet often, we would share messages. We last spoke when actress Surekha Sikri ji passed away. I also spoke to him when he won Bigg Boss 13. We didn’t just play brother-sister on ‘Balika Vadhu’, I actually used to consider him as my brother. We always had that brother-sister type relationship,” she added.
Actress Shubhangi Atre, a close industry friend of the ‘Balika Vadhu’ actor recalled him and said: “I couldn’t believe the news. I am really saddened and don’t know how to react to it. I just pray for his family. May his soul rest in peace.”
Actor Abhilash Chaudhary also was shocked after listening to this sad news. He shared: “Its very heartbreaking to come across this sad news. I was shocked when I heard I was shooting for a film in Chennai and was like still for a while as this happened suddenly. He was a good man and actor and this is totally heartbreaking. I remember working with him in ‘Balika Vadhu’. He was one who inspired me a lot. I was waiting for a chance to work with him again.”
Bollywood
Sanjay Dutt, Palak Tiwari-starrer ‘The Bhootnii’ trailer is all about ghosts, gadgets and guns

Mumbai, March 29: The trailer for the upcoming film “The Bhootnii”, starring Sanjay Dutt, Palak Tiwari, Mouni Roy, and Sunny Singh, was unveiled on Saturday. It promises a thrilling blend of fun and spookiness.
The trailer is filled with witty punchlines, eerie thrills, and a generous dose of Sanjay’s iconic swag. The Bhootnii promises to transport audiences into a world where horror meets humor in the most unexpected ways.
The makers launched the trailer of the movie at a mega event in Mumbai in presence of the entire star cast.
It was on February 26, when Sanjay had revealed the title of the film, which was earlier called “The Virgin Tree”, on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri. It was also revealed that the project will be hitting the theatres on April 18, 2025.
The makers had also shared a teaser, which gives an insight into the mystical world where ‘love turns into darkness’.
Soham Rockstar Entertainment and Three Dimension Motion Pictures are presenting “The Bhootnii”, which has been produced under the banner of A Soham Rockstar Entertainment Production by Deepak Mukut, Sanjay Dutt, Hunar Mukut, and Maanayata Dutt.
Additionally, Sanjay’s lineup includes the much-awaited sequel “Welcome to the Jungle.” The Ahmed Khan’s directorial enjoys an ensemble cast with Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon Disha Patani, Suniel Shetty, Lara Dutta, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, and Tusshar Kapoor.
The film is the third installment to the “Welcome” franchise. It was first released in 2007 and the second part Welcome Back hit the screens in 2015.
Furthermore, Sanjay will also be seen playing a crucial role in “Son of Sardaar 2”. The drama has Ajay Devgn and Mrunal Thakur as the lead pair. Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, Ajay Devgn has produced the film under the banner of Devgn Films in collaboration with Jio Studios.
Entertainment
Sushant Singh Rajput Death Case: CBI Closure Report Vindicates Bandra Police’s Investigation, Confirms No Foul Play

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) closure report in the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, vindicates that the Bandra Police’s investigation was headed in the right direction at the time. Five years after the actor’s death, the CBI recently submitted closure reports in two related cases at the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Bandra, including the one concerning his death in June 2020.
Agency officials confirmed that their investigation found no foul play in his demise, calling it “a simple case of suicide.” This report supports the Bandra Police’s initial investigation and affirms that their inquiry was on the right track before the case was transferred to the CBI.
On June 14, 2020, Sushant Singh Rajput’s body was found at his rented apartment in Bandra West. At that time, the Bandra Police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR).
However, several politicians, a few celebrities, a few media personalities, and a section of society questioned the Mumbai Police’s investigation, alleging that the actor had been murdered or driven to suicide. Eventually, after conducting its investigation, the CBI found no evidence of foul play and closed the case.
The CBI’s closure report has reinforced that the Bandra Police’s initial investigation was thorough and correctly directed. The Bandra Police had registered the ADR and investigated the matter for 46 days before the case was handed over to the CBI.
During those 46 days, some politicians, celebrities, and sections of the media cast doubts on the credibility of the Mumbai Police, attempting to tarnish its image. However, in the end, it has been proven that their investigation was thorough and impartial.
One of the prime investigating officers (Bandra police) of the case, who was among the first to arrive at the scene after the actor’s death, spoke after the closure report was filed, “I was 100% confident in the findings mentioned in the CBI’s report, and my seniors trusted my investigation. I thank the CBI, but I wish the results had come earlier—it has now been almost five years. I investigated only the ADR, not the other related cases. Officers who handle an investigation from the beginning always know everything. My inquiry was based on the post-mortem report. At that time, many different angles emerged, and we examined all of them thoroughly.”
He further added, “The CBI is also part of the police force, and they conducted a good investigation. When the case was transferred to the CBI, I had no issue because they, too, are part of the same law enforcement system. Whether we work under the central or state government, we belong to the same fraternity. I had a good experience working with the CBI. The Mumbai Police never faced political pressure. However, various illogical theories surfaced in the media and on social media, and the COVID-19 pandemic was also ongoing at the time. Despite all this, nothing impacted our investigation.”
Bhushan Belnekar was the investigating officer in the actor’s ADR case. Along with him, Padmakar Devre, Senior Police Inspector Nikhil Kapse, PSI Ekta Pawar, and Sub-Inspector Vaibhav Jagtap were part of the investigative team. Belnekar, Devre, and Kapse have since retired.
Another police officer from the Bandra Police investigation team stated, “This report proves that our investigation was on the right track. No political agenda influenced us. During our inquiry, we considered all the angles raised by the media and social media. We did not overlook a single possibility and examined every aspect thoroughly. From the beginning, the circumstances, medical reports, and forensic analysis indicated that it was a case of suicide.”
He further mentioned, “The pandemic posed an additional challenge for us. We conducted our investigation based on the available inputs. Many theories emerged, but we found no evidence to support the murder theory or abetment of suicide or murder. All case records have been maintained. At that time, his relatives immediately did not file any complaints.”
When asked whether the Mumbai Police’s morale was affected after the case was transferred to the CBI, he responded, “Our morale was not affected. In fact, we believed that the CBI would conduct a thorough investigation, and now their findings have validated our work.”
The actor used to stay in his sixth-floor duplex flat at Mont Blanc Apartments near Joggers’ Park in Bandra West, where his body was found on June 14, 2020.
Crime
New India Cooperative Bank: Bollywood Actress Preity Zinta Received ₹1.5 Crore Loan Remission, Reveals EOW Probe

Mumbai: Bollywood actress Preity Zinta received a loan remission by New India Cooperative Bank. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is looking into Hiren Bhanu, the former chairman of the bank, for allegedly approving loans in return for bribes, as per reports.
The investigation has revealed that the actress benefitted from a remission on her loan. The police said that on January 7, 2011, a loan of Rs. 18 crore was sanctioned to actress Preity Zinta. The loan was declared a Non-Performing Asset (NPA) on March 31, 2013. The amount was later settled at Rs. 10.74 crore, and a remission of Rs. 1.55 crore was granted to her. The amount was paid on April 5, 2014, according to a report by Media quoting an EOW officer.
In February, the Kerala Congress unit alleged that the bank had waived off a Rs 18 crore loan in exchange for Preity Zinta’s support for the BJP. In response, Zinta clarified that she had an overdraft facility with the bank over 12 years ago, which was fully repaid more than a decade ago. She stated that her account had been closed since then, refuting any claims that she benefited from the bank’s financial issues.
While replying to the post of the Congress Kerala, Actress stated “No I operate my social media accounts my self and shame on you for promoting FAKE NEWS ! No one wrote off anything or any loan for me. I’m shocked that a political party or their representative is promoting fake news & indulging in vile gossip & click baits using my name & images. For the record a loan was taken and FULLY PAID BACK – over 10 years ago. Hope this clarifies and helps so there are no misunderstandings in the future.”
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) officer mentioned that they are reviewing the documents from the bank as part of their investigation.
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