The pistol allegedly used by Varsha Bhosale for ending her life belonged to her mother and legendary singer Asha Bhosale, who had lost it nearly three decades ago, police said today.

In a brief meeting with police last evening, Asha Bhosale claimed she had lost the weapon nearly 30 years ago and it is the same firearm her daughter used to commit suicide, Gamdevi senior police inspector Pradip Lonandkar said.

"Asha had informed about the weapon missing from her Peddar Road house 30 years ago to the police wing concerned and subsequently her license had been revoked," he said.

Varsha (56) shot herself dead with a Belgian-make 0.6 calibre pistol at her mother's flat at Prabhu Kunj on the posh Peddar Road of South Mumbai where her body was found lying on a sofa on Monday.

Also read: Former Rediff.com columnist Dilip D'Souza salutes Varsha Bhosle, also a former columnist with us.