Karan Joseph death: 'Rishi abused Karan mentally, physically and emotionally'

Rishi Shah (in white) and ACP Sanjay Kadam at Bandra police station on Tuesday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Karan (Joseph) faced mental torture, and emotional and physical abuse during his stay with Rishi (Shah). This is what friends of the 29-year-old pianist, who jumped to his death from Bandra's Concorde building on Saturday, have alleged in a six-page letter they submitted to the Bandra police yesterday.

Rishi reiterates
The police, who have registered a case of abetment to suicide, continued to record statements of Karan's friends as well as of Shah's domestic help, identified as Vinod.

Shah was called to the Bandra police station twice on Tuesday. An officer said, "He was called in to record his statement and he repeated the same thing he'd said on the day of Karan's death."

Also read: I'm ready to leave all my friends for Rishi Shah: Karan Joseph told a close friend

On September 9, Shah had told the police, "Karan arrived at my house around 7.30 am. My friend Suzana from Australia and I were home then; she was asleep. Around 8, she woke up and joined us. We were listening to music and chit-chatting. Karan told me that last night he was at a party at his friend Tej Brar's house, where Sohail and Varun and 10 to 15 other friends were present, and they all were upset with him (Karan). I told him to not take these things seriously and to enjoy the music. My domestic help got us juice then. Karan went and sat by the window with one leg hanging outside. And before I could think or even do anything, he jumped."

More statements
"Suzana Uusmaa's statement was recorded on the day of the death," said a source.

The police said Vinod, in his statement, said, "On Saturday morning, Karan came home and was sitting on the couch with Rishi and his friend. I asked them if they wanted breakfast. But Rishi told me to get pomegranate juice and I did. Then I heard a sound like a door opening. When I turned to look, I saw Karan sitting on the window ledge with one leg outside, and then, he fell down."

Also read: Mumbai: Is bad advice from flatmate Rishi Shah to blame for Karan Joseph's death?

Here's what happened
A timeline of events, as given by Karan's friends, starting from the night prior to his death...

8 pm - 10.30 pm: Karan messages Randolph, pleading with him to come to Rishi's house.

10.56 pm: Karan messages Randolph "I'M JUST SCARED BRO"

1.38 am: Randolph replies "You okay bro?"

4.01 am - 4.58 am: Karan replies that Rishi is shutting down RAVE (the magazine) and he's angry; later, Karan asks Randolph for help.

4.58 am: Randolph tells Karan to leave Rishi's house.

5.02 am - 5.05 am: Karan messages Randolph, pleading for help and saying he is getting beaten up at Rishi's.

5.17 am: Karan meets Randolph at Drop in Bandra.

5.30 am (approximately): Karan and Randolph go to Tej Brar's house, where eight-odd people, including Sohail Arora, Mandovi Menon, Varun Patra and Raffael Kabbly, are present. (Tej, Mandovi and Varun, who spoke to Karan during his time, said he seemed low. Karan sat by himself, away from the rest of them, having a drink. He was there for about an hour, before he left without saying anything to anyone.)

7.11 am: Karan messages Randolph, saying he reached "home". (From that time till minutes before his death, Karan made several phone calls to friends from Rishi's apartment, some answered and some didn't.)

You may also like to read:

Also read: Mumbai: Pianist Karan Joseph's friends want full probe on Rishi Shah

Also see - Photos: Mehr Jesia, Prateik Babbar others at Karan Joseph's funeral