Amitabh Bachchan's 21-Year-Old Jhund Co-Star Priyanshu Aka Babu Chhetri Murdered After Drunken Brawl With Friend In Nagpur

Actor Priyanshu alias Babu Ravi Singh Chhetri, best known for his role as Babu Chhetri in the 2022 Hindi film Jhund, starring megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the lead, was allegedly murdered by his friend following a drunken altercation in Nagpur on Wednesday (October 8).

According to a report in PTI, the accused has been identified as Dhruv Lal Bahadur Sahu (20). He has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Chhetri, aged 21, had earned praise for his performance in Jhund, a biographical sports drama which was directed by Nagraj Manjule.

Jhund, based on the life of Vijay Barse, founder of the NGO Slum Soccer, revolved around the story of a retired sports teacher who forms a football team with underprivileged children, transforming their lives through the game.

According to a police official, Chhetri and Sahu were close friends and would often drink together. "After midnight on Tuesday, Sahu and Chhetri went to an abandoned house in the Jaripatka area to drink alcohol. This occurred a few hours before Chhetri was found injured early Wednesday morning," the official reportedly said, citing preliminary investigation.

The two allegedly got into an argument while drinking. Under the influence of alcohol, Chhetri reportedly threatened Sahu before falling asleep. "Fearing harm, Sahu allegedly tied Chhetri with wires and attacked him with a sharp weapon," the official added.

Around 3 am on Wednesday, locals reportedly discovered Chhetri lying half-naked and bound with plastic wires, severely injured. They immediately alerted police. He was rushed to Mayo Hospital, where doctors declared him dead during treatment.

Chhetri lived in the Lumbini Nagar area of Nagpur. Police have registered a case of murder against Sahu and taken him into custody. Officials also said that both Chhetri and Sahu had criminal backgrounds, with previous cases of theft and assault registered against them.

In November 2022, Chhetri was arrested for an alleged theft. A 64-year-old resident of Mankapur area had filed a complaint about a theft of jewellery and cash worth Rs 5 lakh from his house.

He was also arrested earlier for allegedly stealing mobile phones of train passengers.