New Delhi:
Malaika Arora’s father Anil Kuldip Mehta has died by suicide in Bandra, Mumbai, on Wednesday morning, police said. The actress, who was reportedly heading to Pune, rushed to Mumbai as soon as she got the tragic news. A video has surfaced online in which a grieving Malaika Arora can be seen leaving her parents’ house last night. She was accompanied by sister Amrita Arora, her husband Shakeel Ladak, Arjun Kapoor and best friends Kareena and Karisma Kapoor and son Arhaan. In the video, Arjun Kapoor can be seen escorting Malaika towards her car. Following the death of Malaika Arora’s father, her ex-husband Arbaaz Khan, Salim Khan, Salma Khan, Sohail Khan, Arpita Khan, Alizeh Agnihotri and other members of the Khan family visited her in Mumbai.
Malaika Arora issued the first statement after her father’s death on behalf of the family last night. She media requested to respect their privacy during these difficult times. Malaika wrote in the post, “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear father, Anil Mehta. He was a kind soul, a devoted grandfather, a loving husband and our best friend. Our family is in deep shock at this loss and we kindly request privacy from the media and well-wishers during this difficult time. We appreciate your understanding, support and respect. With gratitude, Joyce, Malaika, Amrita, Shakeel, Arhaan, Azaan, Rayyan, Casper, Axl, Duffy and Buddy.” Take a look:
Malaika’s father, 65, Anil Mehta allegedly jumped from his apartment building in Bandra, Mumbai. An IANS report claimed that Anil Mehta called his two daughters saying, “I am tired,” before allegedly jumping from the balcony. Anil Mehta’s wife and mother of Malaika and Amrita Arora, Joyce Polycarp, told Mumbai Police that she was at the house when the incident occurred. Around 9 am on Wednesday, she noticed her husband’s slippers in the living room and started looking for him, according to IANS.
According to news agency IANS, when she couldn’t find him on the balcony, she leaned over the railing and noticed there was a commotion and a security guard in the building was shouting for help. It was then, she told police, that she realized something was terribly wrong.
Malaika Arora was born in Thane, near Mumbai. Her parents divorced when she was 11, and she moved to Chembur with her mother, Joyce, and sister, Amrita. Joyce Polycarp is a Malayalam Christian, while Anil Mehta was from the Punjabi community and worked in the Indian Merchant Navy.