EastEnders spoilers follow for Tuesday’s episode (March 25), which is available to watch now on streaming service BBC iPlayer and hasn’t yet aired on TV.
EastEnders has aired a harrowing episode surrounding Avani Nandra-Hart’s police station ordeal.
In yesterday’s episode, Avani skipped school along with Lily and Amy and convinced her mum Priya that they were cheering up Lily amid her grief.
The trio ran into Marvin, the boy who previously sold Avani vapes, and he offered them drugs. Avani refused, but when the police arrived, he dropped a bag of pills by her feet and the girls were taken to the station.
While Jack and Jean collected Amy and Lily, Avani’s parents ignored calls from the police. She was horrified when the officers told her they needed to strip search her as she could have more drugs concealed.
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In today’s episode, Avani resisted the search, refusing an appropriate adult, but the officers threatened that she would be restrained in handcuffs, so she was left with no choice.
Avani was then strip searched by two female officers, in prolonged, distressing scenes performed exceptionally by Aaliyah James.
Her grandmother Suki arrived at the station to collect her, after being tipped off by Jean, and an officer explained what had just happened.
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Suki was furious that Avani had been detained, strip searched, and referred to social services, even though there was no evidence that the drugs were hers – but Avani was embarrassed and didn’t want to make a complaint.
The pair arrived back in the Square and Suki offered to help Avani tell her mum about the day’s events, but she insisted that she would do it alone. She bumped into Amy, who asked about what happened, but made a horrible remark to her friend.
Back at home, Priya was unaware about her ordeal, and Avani ended up confronting her about her poor parenting skills. As a huge argument broke out, Avani finally revealed that she was strip searched at the station.
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Priya was horrified and charged over to Jack’s house to get answers, after finding out that he was present at the police station.
A chaotic scene unfolded in the Square, as Priya and Jack’s row meant Jean, Lily and Amy all discovered what Avani had been through.
Avani rushed back to the house and broke down in tears as she finally reflected on her ordeal at the station.
How will Avani deal with this horrifying situation?
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
