Asha Bhosle’s daughter shoots herself in head

A file photo of Varsha (56) with her mother, singer Asha Bhosle 

 

 

Mateen Hafeez & Bharati Dubey TNN

Mumbai: Singer Asha Bhosle’s 56-year-old daughter, Varsha, was found dead on a blood-soaked sofa in the Pedder Road flat she shared with her mother on Monday. She had shot herself in her right temple with the licenced pistol of her younger brother.
 

    No suicide note has been traced, but police are treating it as one. Varsha had in the past tried to kill herself twice, they pointed out.
    Asha Bhosle and other family members were in Singapore for an awards programme at the time of the incident. The singer rushed back in the evening after receiving the news.
 

    “Varsha, who was undergoing several treatments, was perhaps suffering from depression,” said additional commissioner of police Krishna Prakash.
 

    Varsha’s body was found by Asha’s driver and house help in the drawing room of the singer’s first-floor flat at Prabhu Kunj on Monday morning. “She used a Belgian 0.6mm pistol to shoot herself in her right temple while sitting on the sofa,” said Prakash.
 

 

NOTES ON A SUICIDE
• Varsha Bhosle, 56, a divorcee, was Asha Bhosle’s middle child and only daughter

• She shot herself with a Belgian 0.6mm pistol

• She had tried to kill herself twice before in 1998 and 2008, police said

• She briefly worked as a playback singer. She was a political columnist for many years  

 

Lata broke down on seeing niece’s body
Mumbai: Police on Monday responded to a call that apparently went out from the landline in Asha Bhosale’s flat. “We found Varsha on the sofa with a gunshot in her temple. There were five more bullets in the pistol. She was wearing a night suit,” said additional police commissioner Krishna Prakash. “Our special branch constables first received information about the incident at 12.12pm and a police team arrived at Prabhu Kunj,” he said. Neighbours said they hadn’t heard a gunshot, said police. The time of death will be known only after the post-mortem.
 

    Police sources said the Belgian pistol was issued in the name of Anand Bhosle, Asha’s youngest son, who stays in Bandra. He was not in the country when the incident took place.
 

    On Monday, Deepali Dilip Mane, the house help, arrived at the flat at 9.15am. Despite several door knocks, she did not get any response. Asha’s driver asked Mane to come after some time, saying Varsha might be sleeping. Mane returned at 10.30am, but still got no response. The driver then entered Asha’s drawing room through the adjoining flat belonging to singer Lata Mangeshkar, Asha’s sister. He found Varsha on the bloodsoaked sofa and quickly opened the door to let in the others. Lata apparently broke down on seeing her niece’s body.
 

    After the inquest and recording of statements, Varsha’s body was sent to J J hospital for a post-mortem around 4pm.
 

    As soon as the news spread, mediapersons besieged the Prabhu Kunj building. Curious neighbours were seen peeping from their windows while some came, inquired about the incident and returned to their flats.
    Born in 1956, Varsha briefly worked as a playback singer in Hindi and Marathi movies, and appeared in concerts with her mother. She made a career as a political columnist with a right-wing tilt. She had divorced her husband, former sports writer and PR professional Hemant Kenkare, in 1998 and had moved in with her mother in the Prabhu Kunj flat.
 

    In 1998, Varsha attempted suicide by taking an overdose of medicines. In 2008, she again tried to kill herself, a day after Asha’s 75th birthday, by taking sleeping pills. She was rushed to Jaslok hospital and saved. “She was undergoing treatment by two Pune-based doctors at the moment. We will record their statements about the treatment,” said another cop.
 

    Police said Varsha wanted to start an orphanage with glamour photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha and became upset after his death. She had been on medication since.
 

    Music director Anu Malik, who has known Varsha for nearly three decades and met her last in July, said he couldn’t believe his friend had met with such a painful death. “There were so many times I asked her to sing for me, but she would refuse, saying that she didn’t have a good voice. She didn’t like discussing her personal life with anyone,” he added.  

 

Gun questions await Anand T he licence of the weapon used in the suicide was issued in the name of Anand Bhosle. We are surprised how Varsha got it since a licence holder is supposed to keep the weapon with him only,” said a police officer, adding that they are waiting for Asha Bhosle’s youngest son to return so that they can record his statement.
 

    If the weapon was not with him, Anand should have filed a missing complaint. However, no such complaint was registered with the police.
 

    It is not clear how and when Varsha got the weapon or whether Anand was aware about the pistol’s presence in his mother’s house. “Anand’s statement will make the picture clear. If it is found that he was aware and did not inform the police, action may be taken against him,” added the officer. TNN

A crowd outside Prabhu Kunj building on Pedder Road after news of the death spread 

 

 

The Times of India, October 9, 2012