Sushant Singh Rajput’s family to challenge CBI closure report: ‘Nothing but an eyewash’
HT has exclusively accessed the details of the main closure report, which pertains to allegations against Rhea Chakraborty.
There is no evidence to suggest that actor Sushant Singh Rajput was “illegally confined, threatened, or provocated/abetted to commit suicide” by Rhea Chakraborty or to establish that she embezzled his funds or possessions, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has claimed in its ‘closure report’ into the death of the actor, people familiar with the development said, adding that Sushant, in fact, called Rhea “family”.
Terming it an eyewash and an incomplete document, Rajput’s family and legal team have now decided to challenge the closure report, according to their lawyer Varun Singh. “This is nothing but an eyewash. If CBI really wanted to come out with the truth, it would have submitted all the supporting case documents including chats, technical records, statements of witnesses, medical records, etc in the court along with the final (closure) report, which they have not done. We will file a protest petition against this closure report, which is based on a shoddy investigation”, Singh said.
The federal anti-corruption probe agency had filed two closure reports in March this year . One, into a case registered by Sushant Singh’s father K K Singh in Patna alleging that Rhea and her family drove his son to suicide, and embezzled his funds . The other, a case filed by Rhea against Singh’s sisters in Mumbai. The investigation became one of India’s most polarising cases.
HT has exclusively accessed the details of the main closure report, which pertains to allegations against Rhea; her parents Indrajeet Chakraborty and Sandhya Chakraborty; brother Showik; Rajput’s manager Shruti Modi, and house manager Samuel Miranda.
“Investigation revealed that Sushant had committed suicide. None of the accused persons had lived/stayed with him between June 8, 2020 and June 14, 2020 (the day he was found hanging in his Bandra flat). Rhea and her brother Showik left the house on June 8, and thereafter didn’t visit the house. Sushant had spoken to Showik on June 10 through WhatsApp at 1441 hours but had no conversations with Rhea between June 8 and June 14. Evidence had not come on record to show the meeting of Sushant with Rhea or any of her family members of being in touch by any other means. Shruti Modi had stopped visiting Sushant’s house since she fractured her leg in February. Furthermore, Meetu Singh (sister of Sushant) had stayed with him in his flat from June 8 to June 12,” said an officer, quoting details of the closure report.
“Therefore, no evidence of any immediate provocation/abetment by any of the accused person has come on record which may had led Sushant to commit suicide,” the report adds, according to the officer.
On the allegations of wrongful confinement and restraining Rajput, the CBI report says “no evidence has come on record suggesting that Sushant was illegally confined or restrained in any manner by any of the accused or any other person”.
Regarding allegations of theft and embezzlement of funds by Rhea, the agency, according to a second officer, has said in the report that “when Rhea, along with her brother, left Sushant’s house on June 8, she took away her Apple laptop and Apple wristwatch which were gifted to her by Sushant. No evidence has emerged during investigation about any property dishonestly taken out of the possession of Sushant without his knowledge by Rhea or any other accused person”.
On KK Singh’s charges of cheating, CBI has claimed that Rhea was in a live-in relationship with Sushant from April 2019 to June 2020 and the late actor’s chartered accountant and lawyer were having proper control over his finances. Sushant took Rhea on a Europe trip in October 2019 for which bookings were made by his manager on his instructions, according to CBI. “He even told Sidharth Pithani (Sushant’s flatmate) that Rhea was part of the family. Therefore, expenses on Rhea cannot be brought under the ambit of section 420 of Indian Penal Code. Further, the evidence doesn’t suggest/indicate any movable property being delivered to Rhea by inducing or deceiving Sushant”, the closure report states, according to the second officer.
The agency also said it has not found any evidence of any threat, including in digital data, to Sushant by any of the accused persons. “The only allegation that has been levelled by the family of Sushant is that he told them that Rhea threatened to make his medical records public, in case he doesn’t toe her line. However, this evidence is in the realm of hearsay.”
Sushant’s family lawyer Advocate Varun Singh said: “Simply saying Sushant Singh’s account has not been used to take out funds is not enough. CBI should have provided the bank statement to back its claim. It’s a flimsy report, which won’t stand in the court of law”.
The case had taken on political dimensions, particularly in Rajput’s home state of Bihar, and expanded to include allegations of drug trafficking in the film industry. A Patna court will next hear the closure report matter on December 20 this year.
