‘Ali’ was known to Tunisha for months, not Tinder date: Rayya Labib refutes arguments made by Sheezan Khan’s lawyer in court

MUMBAI: Tunisha Sharma’s friend Rayya Labib has rubbished the arguments put forward by Sheezan Khan’s lawyer, while praying for bail for his client before the Vasai Sessions court.

“The so-called ‘Ali’ who is shown to be a ‘date’ from the site Tinder is an old acquaintance. She knew him for months. Sheezan Khan’s lawyer is cooking up stories. Where has he got this information from? Her phone is not yet unlocked, then how does he know all this, Rayya asked? Probably Sheezan has told him this because ‘Ali’ was around for some time now and he must have mentioned the name to his lawyer. They are painting a false narrative that Tunisha went on a date with him and met him on Tinder. They want to show her as a woman of loose character which is very sad. Tunisha is no longer with us to defend herself and these tactics by Sheezan Khan’s lawyer must be condemned by all fans of Tunisha,” Rayya said in a statement put out by her publicist.

According to her, ‘Ali’ was a fan and a friend. He was no boyfriend or date. They are trying to distort the facts, Rayya said.

“I have a feeling that ‘Ali’ was gay and they were just friends. There was no dating or relationship between them,” Rayya said.

The lawyers representing Sheezan Khan, an accused in the Tunisha Sharma suicide case, claimed before the court that the late actor was in contact with a man named Ali whom she alegedly met on a dating app. They also said that Tunisha met and was in Ali’s company just a few days before her death.

The hearing of the bail plea was adjourned till January 11, after Tunisha’s lawyers requested time to respond to the latest inputs by Sheezan’s legal team.

Tunisha allegedly committed suicide on the sets of her television show Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul at Palghar’s Vasai on December 24. The duo were co-stars on the show. Sheezan was arrested on the abetment of suicide charge on December 25. They were in a relationship but parted ways a fortnight before Tunisha’s death.