Malaika Arora's stepfather Anil Mehta's funeral took place in Mumbai on Thursday (September 12). Malaika, along with her mother Joyce Polycarp and son Arhaan Khan, was seen leaving their Bandra residence to pay their last respects to Mehta. Several heartbreaking photos and videos of the family have surfaced on social media.
In one of the videos shared by a pap on Instagram, Malaika's mother is seen breaking down as she left for the funeral. Both Malaika and Arhaan are seen consoling her.
Anil Mehta (65), allegedly died by suicide on September 11. According to Mumbai Police, he jumped off the terrace of his building around 10 am.
Several Bollywood and television celebrities attended Mehta's funeral. Malaika's ex-boyfriend, actor Arjun Kapoor, and ex-husband Arbaaz Khan, were among the first ones to reach the crematorium centre.
Other celebs like Saif Ali Khan, Arshad Warsi, Terence Lewis, Gauahar Khan, Geeta Kapur, Sshura Khan, Geeta Kapur, Shibani Dandekar, Ritesh Sidhwani and Aditi Govitrikar also arrived to pay their last respects and be with the family.
Anil Mehta's death
Anil used to stay with his family on the sixth floor of Ayesha Manor in Bandra West. The shocking incident came to light when the building’s guards heard a loud thud and discovered Anil on the ground.
The police and forensic teams immediately rushed to the spot and he was taken to a near by hospital. However, he was declared dead on arrival. No suicide note has been found.
The police recovered CCTV footage from the building premises to aid in the investigation.
Anil and Joyce divorced when Malaika was just 11 years old, but they had recently started living together. Hours after Mehta's tragic demise, Malaika issued the official statement on behalf of her bereaved family on Instagram. She requested privacy from the media.
"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear father, Anil Mehta. He was a gentle soul, a devoted grandfather, a loving husband, and our best friend. Our family is in deep shock by this loss, and we kindly request privacy from the media and well-wishers during this difficult time," Malaika's statement read.
