While Chennai police have concluded that television actor VJ Chitra died by suicide, the actor’s relatives continue to allege foul play. Further investigations are on to probe the possibility of physical violence as alleged by Chitra’s relatives. Confirming that the initial evidence from autopsy calls the death a suicide, an investigating officer told TNM that the allegations made by the family will be probed, “We are making further inquiries into the case.”
Chitra’s mother Vijaya, speaking to reporters, has alleged physical violence by her son-in-law Hemanth. An inconsolable Vijaya repeats, "She was beaten to death…,” adding, “She spoke to me on Tuesday saying she was on a show and that it would be late. Morning her father-in-law called sharing the news. How could it be?"
According to reports, relatives have claimed wounds on Chitra’s body, seeking for a full probe into her death. However police have not confirmed this on record. Investigations into Chitra’s death is being done by the Regional Divisional Officer (RDO), as is the norm in cases relating to suspicious death of women who have been married for seven years or less. Chitra's funeral was held in Chennai on Thursday.
Chitra, a popular face among television audience, has hosted many shows and appeared in many serials over the years. She had a great fan following for her show Pandian Stores that airs on Vijay TV. In August this year, Chitra was engaged to Hemanth, reportedly a Chennai based businessman. The couple then registered their marriage and a formal ceremony with guests was set to happen a few months later, in February 2021.
Following the news of Chitra’s sudden death, many television personalities and fans expressed their shock. Claiming that Chitra was a happy and a brave woman, many of her friends shared videos requesting for the police to find out the full story behind her death. A complaint too was filed by Chitra’s family.
Early on December 9 morning, Chitra was found dead in a hotel room by her husband an a hotel staff. The police were alerted around 3.30 am on Wednesday. Chitra who was staying there with Hemanth had returned late to the room. In his statement to the police, Hemanth has claimed that he was waiting outside the room, as requested by Chitra who was going to shower. When he realised that she did not open the door for a long time, he got the hotel staff to open it, only to find out that Chitra had died.