Shikha Joshi suicide: Cops won't book doctor who was blamed by victim

The case of model-cum-actor Shikha Joshi's death saw yet another twist yesterday, with the Versova police deciding not to file an abetment-to-suicide case against the doctor whom Shikha had blamed in her dying moments, unless her family members approached them.

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The autopsy report from Cooper Hospital confirmed that Joshi committed suicide and the cuts on her throat were self-inflicted

The family has, however refused to come to the city, citing a threat to their lives from the doctor, and told mid-day they will approach the Delhi Police instead. mid-day had reported yesterday that the post-mortem reports of the alleged suicide case had suggested that Shikha had practised slitting her throat thrice before inflicting the final cut.

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The police had asked the hospital authorities four questions, one of which was: Did Shikha commit suicide or was a killer involved? The panel of doctors of the civic-run Cooper Hospital, where the post-mortem was conducted, submitted its report yesterday.

The report, which mid-day has seen, confirms that the model killed herself and the cuts on her throat were self-inflicted. The medical report states that excessive bleeding caused her death.

Doctor's version
Shikha's roommate Madhu Bharti had found her in a pool of blood in their New MHADA colony flat in Versova. Instead of taking Shikha to a hospital immediately, Madhu had recorded a video of her, fearing she would be implicated in the model's death.

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The clip shows Shikha blaming a Khar-based cosmetic surgeon, Dr Vijay Sharma, and a few other "married men" for the extreme step. Sharma gave his statement to the Versova police yesterday, in which he said, "I first met Shikha in 2005, when she came to my Khar clinic for breast and stomach surgery.

She completed all formalities and even paid for the surgery. I gave her a five-year warranty for the procedure." Sharma told the police that Shikha returned in 2011, demanding that he perform the surgery again and that she shouldn't be asked to pay for it.

Sharma said that when he asked her to pay, she and her brother lodged a molestation case against him at the Khar police station. The surgeon alleged that Shikha and her brother demanded Rs 2 crore to take back the molestation case.

He claimed Shikha had attempted suicide in 2012 and had blamed him that time as well. "I have no connection with Shikha's alleged suicide," Sharma told the police yesterday.

‘It was murder'
Shikha's family, however, refuted the medical report and alleged that she was murdered. Her brother, Vishesh, told mid-day that the suicide theory was absurd and that it was Shikha's roommate, Madhu Bharti, who had killed her on orders from Dr Sharma.

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Vishesh added that none of his family members would come down to Mumbai because they feel there is a threat to their lives in the city. Instead, they will approach the Delhi Police's Crime Branch for help. "Madhu murdered Shikha on the directions of Dr Sharma.

There is a threat to my life from Dr Sharma and others. I will come to Mumbai only after the Mumbai Police assure me of my safety," he said. Sources at Versova police station, however, said no FIR would be filed against Dr Sharma unless a member of Shikha's family approaches them.

If no family member turns up, they will send the video recorded by Bharti for forensic testing and wait for a report before taking further action. "We will also take the opinion of our legal cell on how to proceed," said an official from Versova police station.