Sidharth Shukla's viscera sent to lab, no signs of unnatural death

MUMBAI: The viscera of actor Sidharth Shukla, who died of a heart attack here on Thursday at the age of 40, has been sent to a forensic laboratory for examination though initial reports did not reveal any signs of unnatural death, police and hospital sources said. The autopsy report of the actor did not mention the exact cause of death, said a police officer on Friday. "On the face of it, there were no signs of unnatural death but the opinion has been reserved," he said, adding that the exact cause of death will be known after reports of chemical analysis of the viscera and histopathology tests were received. 

There were no external injuries on the actor's body, another police official said. The viscera was sent to the Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) while a few other organs were sent to the pathology laboratory of a medical college, said a source at the civic-run R N Cooper Hospital. The actor was rushed to the hospital on Thursday morning after he took ill at home. The doctors declared him brought dead. A forensic expert from the hospital said they sent the viscera to the FSL in suburban Kalina to rule out the possibility of foul play. 

"The FSL will investigate for presence of toxicity in the organs along with other details," he said, adding that the pathology lab will examine other body organs and was expected to submit a report within two days. 

Another hospital official said the initial report indicated that heart attack was the cause of death and there was no internal injury. Shukla became a household name with his role in the long-running TV show 'Balika Vadhu' and as winner of 'Bigg Boss 13'. 

In 2014, he made his Bollywood debut with 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania'. He was cremated at the Oshiwara crematorium here on Friday afternoon in the presence of family members, friends and colleagues from the entertainment industry.