Boney Kapoor found the legendary actor lying motionless in the bathtub full of water at a hotel room in Dubai. Photo: Sridevi's Instagram pageDubai: The Dubai police on Tuesday closed the case related to legendary actor Sridevi, saying that the death was due to accidental drowning following loss of consciousness.
"Dubai Public Prosecution stressed that all regular procedures followed in such cases have been completed. As per the forensic report, the death of the Indian actress occurred due to accidental drowning following loss of consciousness. The case has now been closed," the Dubai Media office tweeted Tuesday.
The 54-year-old actor, known as Indian cinema's first woman superstar, passed away in her hotel room in the Jumeirah Emirates Towers late on Saturday, leaving fans, family and friends stunned.
The Dubai police have handed over the letters for the release of Sridevi's body to the Indian mission here and her family for embalming, Consulate General of India said. Sridevi's body has been released for the procedure of embalming, says a report from Consulate General of India, Dubai.
Arjun Kapoor in Dubai
Meanwhile, her stepson Arjun Kapoor arrived here on Tuesday to be with his father Boney Kapoor as he wraps up formalities and takes the body home to Mumbai.
The Dubai Police said on its Twitter handle on Monday that Sridevi drowned in her bathtub after she loss consciousness. However, a forensic report circulated on various media outlets used the term "accidental drowning" as the cause of her death.
The Dubai police said in a tweet that it had transferred the case to the Dubai Public Prosecution which will carry out regular legal procedures followed in such cases. "Following the completion of post-mortem analysis, Dubai police headquarters today stated that the death of the Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment's bathtub following loss of consciousness," it said.
Boney Kapoor's testimony
The police had recorded the statement of her filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor, who reportedly discovered Sridevi unconscious in the bathtub filled with water. She was taken to a hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.
Dubai-based Gulf News said in a report the actor was under the influence of alcohol. She fell into the bathtub and drowned, it added. However, this could not be independently confirmed.
Actor Arjun Kapoor visit Anil Kapoor's residence following the demise of actor Sridevi in Mumbai on Monday. PTIGulf News also attached a copy of the UAE government's forensic report on its Twitter handle. The report, citing accidental drowning as the cause of death, has a stamp of the "Ministry of Health UAE" and the director of preventive medicine, Dubai, Dr Sami Wadie.
The report mentioned the actor's full name, Sreedevi Boney Kapoor Ayyappan, her passport number, date of the incident (February 24, 2018) and the cause of death.
'Working with Dubai authorities'
Meanwhile, Indian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Navdeep Singh Puri has asked the public not to speculate over the cause of her death.
"We are in regular contact with the family of #Sridevi and other well-wishers. We share their pain," Puri tweeted.
"Our experience in similar cases tells us that it does take 2-3 days to complete processes. We leave it to the experts to determine cause of demise. Let's be responsible," he said.
Sridevi was in Dubai for a family wedding and had stayed back after the ceremonies. Her husband had flown back to Mumbai with their younger daughter Khushi, but returned to Dubai to surprise her.
The news of her death, first reported around 3 am IST on Sunday, sent shock waves across India with those who knew her at a loss to explain how the star, who was present at several wedding functions in Dubai last week, could suddenly breathe her last.
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