Sridevi funeral news updates: Dubai Police records Boney Kapoor's statement, delay in return of actor’s body

Actor Sridevi’s mortal remains are unlikely to reach Mumbai before Tuesday as the authorities have delayed the clearance for repatriation on Monday. Contrary to earlier reports, the body has not been sent for embalming yet and the procedure is likely to be carried out on Tuesday afternoon at Sonapur in Dubai,  Khaleej Times  reported. A fresh twist was added to the veteran actor’s death after the forensic report revealed that Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness. Initial reports had cited a heart attack as the cause of her death on late Saturday at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, where she had been attending a nephew’s wedding. Gulf News shared an image of the report, which found traces of alcohol in her blood, and stated that Sridevi lost balance, fell into the bathtub and drowned. [caption id=“attachment_4368207” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] File image of Sridevi. Reuters[/caption] “The death of Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment’s bathtub following loss of consciousness,” the Dubai  Police tweeted, citing a post-mortem report. Police have now referred the case to the public prosecutor. It is not clear what caused her to lose consciousness yet.

The Dubai Public Prosecutor called up her husband Boney Kapoor and the hotel staff in an effort to ascertain the exact circumstances that lead to the drowning of the veteran actor. The investigators were also reported to be looking into her phone call records. Uncertainty over when the body would arrive in Mumbai and the many questions surrounding her sudden death only intensified as the day progressed. Her body was due to be flown back on Monday on a charter flight after authorities in the UAE would have allowed its release pending the post-mortem. But the details of the forensic report caused additional delays as Indian officials and family members were left waiting for the necessary certificates from the Dubai authorities to start the process of repatriating her mortal remains.  

“Our embassy and consulate are working closely with local authorities to expedite the return of mortal remains of Sridevi and also keeping Kapoor family apprised, it is our endeavour to send mortal remains at earliest,” Indian Envoy to UAE Navdeep Suri told ANI. Samajwadi Party leader​ Amar Singh, however, insisted it would reach Mumbai before midnight. But it looked unlikely. “We need forensic certificate, death certificate and embalming certificate before the process of embalming the body begins. Unless these processes are completed, we will not be in a position to give a firm time for the repatriation of the body,” an official from the Consulate General of India told PTI. It is not clear when the body will be brought back to India. According to a report in Khaleej Times, Sridevi was getting ready at a hotel room in Dubai for a dinner date with her producer-husband Boney Kapoor before her sudden demise. Boney flew back from Mumbai and went to her room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel around 5:30 pm on Saturday to “surprise” her with the dinner, a source close to the family told the newspaper. He woke her up and the couple chatted for about 15 minutes before he invited her for dinner. She then went to the washroom. After 15 minutes had passed and she did not come out, Boney knocked on the door to check on her. When he got no response, he forced open the door to find the legendary actor lying motionless in the bathtub full of water, the source said. When he was unable to revive her, he called a friend and then informed the police at 9 pm. The police and paramedics rushed to the site, but she was pronounced dead. Meanwhile, heartbroken fans awaited the arrival of her body as tributes continues to pour in. Hundreds gathered outside her Mumbai home hoping to catch a final glimpse of the star before her cremation at a funeral service set to take place at Juhu’s Pawan Hans crematorium. With inputs from agencies