Sushant Case: CBI’s Manoj Sashidhar will lead the team
NEW DELHI : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formed a special investigation team (SIT) in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. IPS Manoj Sashidhar of Gujarat Cadre will lead the team.
DIG Gagandeep, SP Nupur Prasad will also be a part. Sushant was found dead in his flat in Mumbai’s Bandra on June 14. On Tuesday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recommended a CBI probe on the request of Sushant’s father K.K. Singh.
“The investigation of FIR No. 241/2020 dated 25.07.2020 registered u/s 341, 342, 380, 406, 420, 306, 506, 120B IPC, PS- Rajiv Nagar, District-Patna, related to death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has been transferred to Central Bureau of Investigation for investigation,” the CBI FIR says.
Officials added that CBI’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is currently investigating the AgustaWestland scam and bank fraud case against Vijay Mallya, will probe actor Sushant Singh Rajput case.
The development comes amid Maharashtra government’s strong opposition to handing over the case to the CBI claiming it was being done for political reasons including the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar. Maharashtra has raised issues of jurisdiction to claim Bihar government or police had no locus standi in the case since Sushant’s death took place in Mumbai.
The agency on Thursday took over the probe by the Bihar Police based on a complaint filed by his father that had named his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, also an actor, and five others.
Ms Chakraborty and the others have been charged with alleged abetment of suicide, criminal conspiracy, theft, cheating, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation.
Having investigated very few “abutment of suicide” cases in its history with hardly any convictions, the agency will probe the actor’s death with a special emphasis on a possible financial crime with criminal motives, CBI sources said.
The case is the first one to be registered by the special investigation team of the CBI, which usually looks into corruption scandals, in the last two years. Set up in 2016, the team was the brainchild of then CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana.
“Though this case has been entrusted with SIT which has been probing corruption and economic offences, investigating officer of this case Anil Yadav and supervising officers Ravi Gambhir and Nupur Prasad have expertise in cracking criminal cases,” sources in the agency said.
Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR), a rising star in Hindi films, was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14. The Mumbai Police said it was suicide and has questioned over 50 people on allegations that the actor was suffering from depression and had felt sidelined because of cut-throat rivalries in the film industry.
The Bihar Police launched a parallel probe last week after the actor’s father KK Singh filed a complaint against Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, accusing her of transferring money from his account, mentally harassing him and driving him to suicide.
The complaint alleged that Rs 15 crore was missing from Sushant Singh’s account.The Mumbai police says it has found no evidence of any financial wrongdoing by Rhea Chakraborty.
On Wednesday, the Bihar Police’s case was handed over to the CBI following a growing demand from politicians and the actor’s family. Rhea Chakraborty, who has denied all charges, had also asked for a CBI probe last month. Breaking her silence last week, the actor said tearfully in a video released by her lawyers: “Truth shall prevail.”
At this point, three agencies – the Mumbai Police, the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI – have been tasked with investigating Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and events leading up to it.
The Enforcement Directorate, which investigates financial crimes, had filed a separate money laundering case last week over “suspicious transactions” in connection with the death of the Bollywood actor based on the complaint filed with the Bihar Police. The agency has summoned Ms Chakraborty on Friday to take her statement.
According to the procedure, the CBI has the freedom to return the reference in case there are legal and jurisdictional issues involved and it may seek further clarification but sources in the know said the case will be taken up for investigation.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had recommended a CBI probe into the matter amid allegations of Bihar police being stopped by Mumbai police to carry out investigation with strong opposition from the Maharashtra government.
Mumbai Police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and an investigation is underway in the case. Till now, the Mumbai Police have recorded statements of 56 people, including Rajput’s sisters, Chakraborty and some other film personalities.
It has also recorded the statements of 56 people including Bollywood directors like Aditya Chopra, Mahesh Bhatt and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The Centre has forwarded the reference to the CBI which has decided to start the probe on its basis, the officials said.
Rajput, 34, was found hanging from the ceiling of his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14 and since then Mumbai police has been probing the case.
