Mumbai: The sudden passing of actor Shefali Jariwala at age 42, on June 27, has cast a spotlight on her final hours, with police inquiries focusing on a combination of a religious fast and an unsupervised intravenous (IV) drip as potential factors.

According to accounts from police and her husband, Parag Tyagi, Jariwala had spent her last day observing a fast after performing a Satyanarayan Puja, a Hindu ritual for prosperity. Tyagi stated that she collapsed around 10:30 PM after consuming food that had been prepared the previous day. She was rushed to Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital in Mumbai, where she was tragically declared dead on arrival.

Preliminary post-mortem findings at R N Cooper Hospital suggested possible cardiac arrest, but ongoing investigations are delving deeper into potential contributing causes. Doctors and police familiar with the initial findings have indicated that her collapse might be linked to critically low blood pressure, possibly stemming from the prolonged fast combined with the intake of medication on an empty stomach.

A key area of inquiry involves the health regimen Jariwala followed without direct medical oversight. Police discovered various supplements at her home, including anti-ageing medicines, "skin glow" tablets, vitamin supplements, and vials of glutathione. A friend, Pooja Ghai, confirmed that Jariwala routinely took Vitamin-C IV drips, and notably, one such drip was administered on the very night of her death. While Ghai maintained these drips were "not unsafe," her family conceded that Jariwala consumed these supplements and over-the-counter pills without a doctor's direct supervision.

Authorities currently suspect no foul play in the actor's demise. However, statements have been recorded from her husband, family, house staff, and friends. To determine the precise cause of death, Jariwala's viscera has been sent for forensic analysis, with results anticipated in two to three months.