Television actor Tunisha Sharma was in contact with a man named Ali on a dating app and was in his company between December 21 and 23, just before her death, lawyers of her co-star Sheezan Khan, arrested on the abetment of suicide charge, told a court in Palghar in Maharashtra on Monday.
The hearing on the bail plea of actor Khan, in jail under judicial custody for allegedly abetting the suicide of Sharma, was adjourned till January 11 by the court.
Sharma (21) was found hanging in the washroom on the set of a television show at Vasai in Palghar district on Mumbai's outskirts on December 24 and Khan was arrested the next day. Sharma and Khan (28), who were in a relationship but later parted ways, were co-stars in TV serial Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul.
On Monday, District and Additional Sessions Judge at Vasai RD Deshpande heard the arguments of both prosecution and defence and accepted the request for time put forward by Sharma's counsel and adjourned the hearing on the bail plea till January 11.
Shailendra Mishra and Sharad Rai, counsels for Khan, told the court their client was innocent and was not connected to Sharma's death, adding Bollywood actor Suraj Pancholi, too, had got bail after being accused of abetment of suicide of actor-singer Jiah Khan, who died in 2013.
Mishra and Rai also said Sharma was in contact with a man named Ali on a dating app and was in the latter's company between December 21 and 23. Even before her alleged suicide, she was on a video call for 15 minutes with Ali, the counsels claimed in the court. Seeking a probe into this angle, the counsels also said no suicide note was found at the spot.
Mishra and Rai also refuted allegations against Khan of "love jihad", forcing the victim to wear a hijab and learn Urdu. Appearing for the Sharma family, advocate Tarun Sharma sought time from the court to go through documents and prepare his defence, which was allowed by the judge.