Cine workers’ body seeks probe into possible murder angle in actress Noor Malabika Das’ death (2nd Ld)

Mumbai, June 10 (IANS) In a case of suspected suicide, former air-hostess-turned-actress Noor Malabika Das, who worked with Kajol in the streaming show ‘The Trial’, was found dead at her rented flat in Mumbai four days ago, creating ripples in the film circles, official sources said on Monday. Following the tragic incident, the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has called upon Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to demand a thorough investigation into the matter, consider the possibility of foul play, and explore a potential murder angle in the case. Hailing from Assam, Mumbai-born Malabika (31) worked as a stewardess with Qatar Airways for several years before switching careers to become an actress. The police said that following complaints of a foul smell emanating from her home in Oshiwara on Saturday, a team broke open the door and found her partly mutilated and decomposing body. She had allegedly hanged herself on Thursday (June 6), but it was only after the neighbours’ complained of foul smell that the matter came to light. Meanwhile, the AICWA expressed concern over the unfortunate incident of Malabika allegedly taking her life, which has rattled the film industry. “This underscores a serious issue within the Bollywood and the broader Indian film industry, where reports of suicides among actors and actresses are alarmingly frequent. It is imperative for the government to investigate the underlying causes behind these recurring tragedies in the Indian film industry,” the AICWA said in a post on X post. It also called upon Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis to order a thorough investigation into the purported suicide of Malabika, including possible foul play and a potential murder angle. Malabika’s autopsy was conducted at the BMC’s Siddharth Hospital in Goregaon, the details of which are not known yet. Her mortal remains were handed over to one of her friends and professional colleagues, A.N. Pathak, who organised her last rites through an NGO, which were performed on Sunday. Malabika was reportedly in a state of depression while her parents, who had visited her last month, left for Assam last week, and could not attend her funeral. Malabika acted in several films/shows/web series like ‘The Trial’, ‘Teekhi Chutney’, ‘Dekhi Undekhi’, ‘Charamsukh’, etc. The news of her unexpected demise was greeted with shock, disbelief, and dismay on social media with tributes pouring in in her memory as many people recalled her acting skills in several projects. –IANS qn/arm