The Murder most foul- Priya Rajvansh
In a limited career, Rajvansh, born Vera Sunder Singh, worked with some of Hindi film industry’s stalwarts, but most prominently her partner and filmmaker Chetan Anand(Dev Anand’s brother)— from the film Haqeeqat (1964) to reincarnation drama Kudrat (1981).
Rajvansh got her first role in Chetan Anand’s war film Haqeeqat(1964) which is still considered as one of the best war films to have been made in Hindi film industry.
Interestingly, the other six films that Priya acted in were all directed by Chetan Anand as he did not allow her to work with other directors.
Chetan Anand was the man who made Priya and actress and also the man who marred(unofficially)her and also the man who became the reason for her murder.
Rajvansh’s relationship with Anand can not be described as live-in because she was way too classy and dignified to be termed a mistress. Her reputation on and off - screen was respectable. She could be at best called his companion and true lover as she managed his home and film making processes and other businesses as well.
After Anand’ death in 1997, he left behind a fortune and according to his will, Rajvansh was one of the three equal beneficiaries, apart from the filmmaker’s two sons Ketan Anand and Vivek Anand
On 27 March 2000, Rajvansh was found murdered at Chetan Anand’s bungalow at Pali hill( Bunglow no.41). The domestic help Mala Chaudhary and Ashok Chinnaswam were convicted of the murder of Priya Rajvansh, while Vivek and Ketan were convicted for plotting to murder Rajvansh. The four moved the Bombay High Court in 2002 against the verdict, and were granted bail Then, in 2011, the high court accepted the appeals filed by the two brothers against their guilty verdict.
The appeal is still stuck in the high court
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