Sridevi’s death has now become a mystery. Not cardiac arrest, the actress died of accidental drowning in her hotel bath tub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues. The Dubai government said in a tweet that the police have transferred the case to the "Dubai Public Prosecution" which will carry out regular legal procedures followed in such cases.
"Following the completion of post mortem analysis, Dubai police headquarters today stated that the death of the Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment's bath tub following loss of consciousness," the Dubai government's media office said on Twitter.
The Dubai Police is trying to establish the sequence of events before and after she was found unconscious. When she was taken to the al Rashid Hospital, she was dead. Reports say police may question Boney Kapoor, Sridevi's husband, who was the last person to see her alive.
A report contradicted that and said that members of service staff at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel discovered her after she did not answer the doorbell. The report quoted a hotel employee as saying that they were the ones who broke open the door of her bathroom and found her lying unconscious on the floor.
As per the latest reports, there could be a further delay in the return of Sridevi's mortal remains with the Dubai police informing the Indian Embassy that another "clearance" was awaited before it could release the body of the actor, who according to the government there, died of accidental drowning in her hotel bath tub after losing consciousness.
Maintaining that the Embassy and Consulate are working closely with the authorities here to expedite the return of Sridevi's body, Indian envoy to the UAE Navdeep Suri told PTI that they have been informed that the Dubai police can release it only after receiving another "clearance".
However, Suri did not say what type of "clearance" was required. "It is their internal process. We do not know."
Asked when Sridevi's body can be flown out, he said, it was difficult to give any timeline as the UAE authorities were following their process.
Sridevi was last seen in Ravi Udyawar directed Mom as Devki Sabharwal. But, that wouldn’t be her last on-screen appearance. Fans will get to see the iconic star for the final time in Anand L Rai directed Zero, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif, in a special appearance.
