The whole country is now seeking clarity and closure in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, and a multitude of people have expressed their satisfaction with the case being handed over to CBI by the central government, on the recommendation of the Bihar government, and that Sushant Singh Rajput died in some mysterious circumstances is not a subject to debate. The defrauding of the late actor by his live-in partner, who also allegedly administered him with wrong medication over a prolonged period, leaves a very little space for anyone to believe that this was a case of mere ‘suicide’, which the Mumbai Police is working overtime to make it look like.
As a matter of fact, the death of Sushant Singh Rajput no longer looks like the doing of a few Bollywood “insiders” alone, who wield immense influence in the city. Of course, one cannot discount their evident participation in ensuring the damage of an actor who does not descend from a lineage of film stars. However, the latest developments in the case are just too startling, and indicate that there are higher powers at play, potentially including the political outfits and leaders of the state.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and currently a Rajya Sabha MP from the state, Narayan Rane has accused the Shiv Sena-led government of “saving someone” in the case. He goes on to allege that both Sushant Singh Rajput and his former manager – Disha Salian were murdered. Rane further said that on June 8, Disha Salian was raped and then murdered, and later on June 14, even Sushant was killed. He claimed that both the incidents are related and pointed out that Disha Salian being a victim of rape must have been evident in her autopsy report.
Disha Salian was a former manager of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was also working with the late actor on a project involving advertisement of footwear and watches. With the prevailing COVID-19 related lockdowns, however, the project never fructified. On June 8, she was found dead in the parking lot of a residential complex where she and Rohan Roy, her fiancé, co-owned a flat. Police say that Salian might have accidentally fallen off the window of her flat, or might have even committed suicide. It must be noted here that when the incident occurred, a party was ongoing at the flat.
Earlier, in what can be called a gross negligence or intentional criminal tampering, various reports suggested that the Mumbai Police had “inadvertently deleted” the files of Disha Salian, a charge which the Mumbai Police department later denied.
Meanwhile, Times Now had reported that some crucial pages from Sushant Singh Rajput’s diary, now in the custody of Mumbai Police, were torn-off and missing. This raised serious doubts about the police’s handling of what could have been an incriminating evidence. Siddharth Pithani, the late actor’s flatmate and one of the first to have seen his body on June 14, had interestingly first claimed that he had noticed no torn pages from the diary.
Siddharth then, in complete contestation of his claims made earlier, pinned the blame on Sushant Singh Rajput, saying that it was the late actor himself who had a habit of tearing off pages from his diary which he did not like. “I’m sure people will find missing pages in more books also,” said Pithani after having claimed himself earlier that he had noticed no torn pages and had no knowledge of the same.
The question is, at whose behest are such criminal negligence’ occurring? The alleged ‘inadvertent’ deletion of crucial Disha Salian files by the Mumbai Police, to the discovery of torn pages from Sushant Singh Rajput’s diary, all are indicative of the fact that this case is no longer confined to a few Bollywood biggies, and has instead spiralled into one with potentially gross levels of political involvement, as suggested by Narayan Rane.
Lately, Aditya Thackeray angle has also come to be reported in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Junior Thackeray, who also serves as the Tourism Minister in his father’s cabinet had even issued a statement, clarifying that he has nothing to do with the death of the late actor and that having friends in Bollywood is not illegal.
Allegations are also replete that ‘politicians’ and certain ‘ministers’ had, on the night of June 13, attended a party nearby Sushant Singh Rajput’s flat, where too, a party was said to be going on. Narayan Rane has gone to the extent of saying that many ministers were at actor Dino Morea’s house, who stays close to Sushant’s, and then from the former’s house they went to the latter’s flat. The police have said that no party took place at Sushant’s flat, even as Dino Morea also has denied hosting any such closed-door event. Everyone seems to be denying the existence of parties in the city.
Rhea Chakraborty, meanwhile, has an elaborate link with the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Wrongful confinement, cheating, and criminal intimidation are just a few of the charges levelled against her. She also, by Sushant’s admission in January, was administering unknown and wrongful medicines to him, due to which he felt ‘claustrophobic’.
Rhea Chakraborty’s father – Indrajit Chakraborty is the Head of Admin Kohinoor Hospitals. The hospital is owned by Manohar Joshi, ex Maharashtra Chief Minister and a prominent Shiv Sena leader.A political link now stands more than established, and this might explain junior Thackeray going all defensive in his statement.
Rhea Chakraborty and her legal team, meanwhile, are increasingly siding with the government of Maharashtra and Mumbai Police. Why? For someone who herself demanded a CBI probe into the death of her boyfriend, Rhea Chakraborty now running around trying to evade the CBI and ED raises many eyebrows. Moreover, at whose behest is she doing so? If not guilty, why would she fear being questioned by central agencies? Her strange trust towards the Mumbai Police raises many questions, to say the least.
Her lawyer, meanwhile, toeing the Shiv Sena line, has remarked that the CBI pursuing the case would be illegal and against the “federal structure of the country.” Will the Mumbai Police go out of its way to protect Rhea, her family, or those at whose behest she has potentially been working? If not, why would her lawyer so brazenly call for a sole Mumbai police investigation into the case?
The Maharashtra government is resisting all ‘outside’ forces from entering the state and beginning investigations relating to the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Whether it is the Bihar Police, CBI or ED, all quarters have met with resistance from the state administration, and the Mumbai and Bihar police confrontation is well known already. Why are the Maharashtra government and Mumbai Police getting jittery at the prospect of an independent agency probing the case? What secrets do they fear will tumble out? And if they do not fear any exposure, why would they try to create hurdles for the Bihar Police and CBI? In a fresh move aimed at preventing the CBI from carrying out an expedited investigation into the death case of Rajput, the BMC has today issued a fresh notification in which it has mandated that all government officials must now seek permission from state authorities to avail an exemption from quarantine protocols of Maharashtra.
The investigations into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput can no longer, by any right-minded investigator, ignore the political links which have now so explicitly emerged. While Bollywood must be taken to task as well, the CBI and Enforcement Directorate now also have upon them the duty of investigating any political angle to the case.