Deserted by kids, 'Pakeezah' actress Geeta Kapoor dead
Mumbai, May 26: Veteran Bollywood actress Geeta Kapoor, who shot into the limelight for her role in the classic "Pakeezah", breathed her last in a Mumbai old age home on Saturday morning, a family friend said.
She was 67 and had been living in the old age home after she was reportedly abandoned by her son and daughter last year.
"Heartbreaking! 'Pakeezah' actress Geeta Kapoor passes away after waiting to see her children one last time," tweeted her friend and film-personality Ashoke Pandit.
She had acted in around 100 films in supporting roles/characters, including prominent ones in Kamal Amrohi's films "Pakeezah"," "Razia Sultan".
In a humanitarian gesture, film producer Ramesh Taurani and Pandit had been caring for the actress and paying her medical bills after her children turned their backs on her. Her son Raja is a choreographer and her daughter Pooja is an airhostess.
Kapoor, was deserted by her children in May 2017 at the SRV Hospital, Goregaon, and was later shifted by Pandit and Taurani, to the Jeevan Asha old age home run by the Society of Helpers of Mary in Andheri West.
She had once complained of ill-treatment meted out by her son, including assault and not giving her food regularly.
She longed very much to see her children since then, but they never came and she kept getting weaker with passing time, and finally passed away on Saturday, said Pandit.
The body will be kept at the Cooper Hospital morgue ahead of the funeral on Monday amid hopes that her children would come to perform the final rites.
"Her body will be kept at Cooper Hospital, Vile Parle for two days hoping her children to come and at least do the last rites. Otherwise, we will do our best to bid her a dignified goodbye," Pandit tweeted.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi court acquits husband, in-laws in dowry death case
New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court has acquitted a man and his parents in a dowry death case, saying the prosecution failed to establish allegations of cruelty or dowry harassment against them.
Additional Sessions Judge Deepak Wason acquitted Kartik Sharma, his father Ravi Dutt Sharma, and his mother Veena Sharma in the case of Shivali Sharma, who died by suicide in March 2023.
The accused were facing trial under Sections 498A (cruelty by husband or relatives) and 304B (dowry death) of the IPC.
In the April 1 order, the court said, “There is nothing on record to establish the culpability of the accused persons in the commission of the offences charged against them. The prosecution has failed to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.”
It held that while the death was unnatural and occurred within seven years of marriage, the key elements of dowry death, particularly proof of harassment connected to dowry demands, remained unproven.
According to the prosecution, the deceased's family alleged she was subjected to harassment and repeated dowry demands, including cash and a vehicle, which allegedly drove her to commit suicide.
The police registered the FIR after her parents made statements before an executive magistrate.
However, during the trial, key prosecution witnesses, including the deceased's mother, father, brother, uncle and grandmother, did not support the allegations in the court.
They consistently stated that Shivali was living a "peaceful and happy" married life and denied any dowry demand or harassment by the accused.
The witnesses further attributed her death to depression caused by her child's serious medical condition.
The court noted that the testimonies of close relatives, considered the most material witnesses, revealed no evidence of cruelty or dowry-related harassment “soon before her death,” a crucial requirement to establish an offence under Section 304B IPC.
The court observed that the medical evidence confirmed death due to asphyxia caused by hanging.
Giving the benefit of the doubt, the court said this alone was insufficient to implicate the accused without corroborative evidence of cruelty.
