MUMBAI: Unveiling the mystery revolving around the sad demise of Asha Bhosle’s daughter Varsha, the Gamdevi police has alleged that the pistol used by her belonged to the legendary singer, who had reportedly lost it around three decades ago.
In a brief meeting with the police last evening, Gamdevi senior police inspector Pradip Lonandkar stated that Asha Bhosle claimed she had lost the weapon nearly 30 years ago, and it is the same firearm her daughter used to commit suicide. He said, “Asha had informed about the weapon missing from her Pedder Road house 30 years ago to the police wing concerned and subsequently her license had been revoked.”
56-year-old Varsha was found dead with a bullet wound in her head by a Belgian-make 0.6 calibre pistol at her mother’s flat at Prabhu Kunj on the posh Pedder Road of South Mumbai where her body was found lying on a sofa on Monday. Varsha, a singer and columnist, was alone in the flat at the time of the incident. Bhosle, who was in Singapore at the time of the incident, rushed back to Mumbai. She was cremated on 9 October early morning at Chandanwadi crematorium at Marine Lines.
Related Post
Police sources said that the post mortem report confirmed that Varsha died of haemorrhagic shock due to bullet injuries. Three loaded cartridges were also found in the pistol she used to kill herself.
Another officer added, “There are many unanswered questions. Had Varsha hidden the pistol following which an unaware Asha lodged missing firearm complaint 30 years ago? If it was so, why Varsha wanted the weapon? Or Varsha caught hold of the weapon recently? These are the questions in our mind.”
Meanwhile, the statements of Varsha’s aunt Usha Mangeshkar, brother Anand Bhosle, relative Rachna Shah, driver Vijay Nakashe and housemaid Deepali Mane have been recorded so far. According to police, Varsha was under treatment of doctors based in Pune for depression.
Police officials state that although she was undergoing treatment for depression for the last two years, it is not yet clear what prompted her to take the extreme step. While the inquiries so far have indicated that her depression had aggravated after the demise of noted fashion photographer friend Gautam Rajadhyaksha, with whom she wanted to start an orphanage. She had reportedly attempted to end her life twice in the past.
The second of Bhosle’s three children, Varsha was a freelance writer and columnist, known for her fiery right wing writing for a web portal and several publications. Varsha has herself had a playback singing career in Hindi and Marathi movies.
