Cardiac arrest or foul play? Shefali Jariwala's death raises questions, sparks conspiracy theories online
Shefali Jariwala | X
The death of Shefali Jariwala has stirred suspicion among authorities and well-wishers alike. The actress, known for her stint on the 13th season of Bigg Boss, passed away on the night of June 27. The 42-year-old was rushed to the Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital by her husband Parag Tyagi, where she was pronounced dead.
A Mumbai police official told ANI: “Her body was found at her residence in Andheri area. Mumbai Police received information about this at 1 AM. Her body has been sent to Cooper Hospital for post-mortem.”
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The delay in the declaration of the cause of death has raised doubts—was it a medical reason, or does the cause run deeper?
Netizens' conspiracy theories have even ventured so far as to attribute her death to what they call the 'Bigg Boss Curse', simply because 6 people in the entertainment industry died unnatural deaths, all of whom had starred in 'Bigg Boss' at some point.
Cardiac arrest
Initial reports indicate that Jariwala passed away due to a heart attack, though the claim remains unsubstantiated, as no official statement has been provided by Shefali's immediate family, the hospital, or the authorities.
Reports say that the actress had been undergoing anti-ageing treatment for five to six years prior to her demise, primarily using Vitamin C and Glutathione.
“Glutathione is a drug used for skin fairness and detoxification. These medicines do not have a direct impact on the heart and are purely cosmetic treatments," a doctor told NDTV.
Epilepsy
In a past interview with The Times of India, Jariwala revealed that she was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 15. She said that since her epileptic seizures were unexpected, it caused a roadblock in her career.
“Stress and anxiety can lead to seizures. It's interrelated; you could get a seizure due to depression, and vice versa," she said.
However, her early personal life was far from peaceful, owing to the pressures of her health condition, exacerbated by her first marriage to musical duo Meet Bros' Harmeet Singh, whom she described as “emotionally abusive”. Following a divorce in 2009, she married TV actor Parag Tyagi in 2014.
She further added that with the help of a strong support system, she overcame the condition.
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There is no known cure for epilepsy. While medications are provided to patients to help control episodes, the disease is known to be life-threatening.
Suspicious circumstances
The Mumbai Police and a forensics team arrived at the couple’s home in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
According to IANS, her untimely death is being viewed as suspicious. The news agency also added that police has launched a preliminary investigation and questioned the household cook and domestic help.
As the Mumbai Police investigation continues, Cooper Hospital has yet to clear the air with the post-mortem report.
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