Rescuer reveals what happened after Rahul was pulled from water

The sudden death of popular Tollywood actor Rahul Arunodoy Banerjee has become shrouded in mystery. As questions arise over what exactly happened at the Tal Sari river mouth and how the actor drowned in front of so many people, various accounts are emerging. Compounding the confusion, much of the information is contradictory.

A preliminary autopsy report has revealed sensational details. According to Kolkata media citing hospital sources, the actor died due to prolonged submersion in water. Sand and saline water were found in his lungs, trachea, oesophagus and stomach, causing his lungs to swell to twice their normal size.

A shoot was underway at the sea at the time of the incident. Local lifeguard Bhagirath Jana, who was present for security, was the first to jump in for the rescue.

In an interview, Bhagirath said he had been at the shooting spot since noon. He said the actors had been warned multiple times as they approached the sea. However, the weather turned bad in the afternoon, and the tide began to rise rapidly. He claimed the warning messages did not reach them due to the sudden change.

"While they were struggling in the water, I ran and first rescued actress Sweta. Then I pulled out Rahul," Bhagirath recounted. "I carried him on my shoulder, brought him up, and he was put in a car."

He further said that Rahul did not know how to swim, which led to him ingesting a lot of water. However, he was not unconscious at the time of rescue—he was struggling to breathe and gasping. When pressure was applied to his stomach, some water came out of his mouth, and he even vomited.

Bhagirath claimed, "I have been doing this work since childhood. The current was very strong at that spot. Had anyone else been in my place, the same thing would have happened."

A pall of grief has descended over Tollywood following the incident. An investigation has already been launched into how such an accident occurred despite security arrangements. However, the rescuer's account has raised new questions about what exactly happened to the actor in his final moments.

Source: The Wall