Sushant Singh Rajput death case: SC to pass order on Rhea Chakraborty’s petition on August 19

The Supreme Court (SC) is likely to deliver on Wednesday (August 19) its verdict on a petition filed by actress Rhea Chakraborty, who had approached the top court seeking the transfer of an FIR lodged against her at Patna for allegedly abetting Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide, to Mumbai. The SC is likely to pronounce its verdict at 11 AM.

The 34-year-old actor was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14. The Mumbai Police said the actor had died by suicide and has been probing the case keeping different angles in mind. Trouble started for Rhea after nearly a month when Sushant’s father KK Singh filed a case in Bihar, accusing the actress and her family of cheating Sushant financially and mentally harassing him, forcing him to tkae his own life.

The FIR in Patna was registered by Sushant’s father against Rhea and others for alleged offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 306 (abetment of suicide), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 380 (theft in dwelling house), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property).

During the hearing in this case, Rhea said in SC that the Bihar Police’s FIR in this matter was “completely illegal” and the state did not have jurisdiction to send the case to the CBI. The 28-year-old actress, however, also said the apex court that she has no objection if the case is transferred to the CBI.

“The comments made at the last hearing before the Hon’ble Supreme Court on the 11th of August 2020, make it evident that this has become more about politics than the truth. Unwanted and irrelevant submissions are being made. The number of politicians taking advantage of this case on the eve of elections in Bihar,” Rhea said in a statement on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Bihar government has rejected Rhea’s charges and claimed that it has the legal rights to file the FIR and Bihar government was following the law in seeking CBI probe in Sushant’s death case.

“After ascertaining the cause of death, any further probe can be carried out only after registering FIR. Mumbai Police did not register any FIR and its probe is not valid or legal,” the Bihar government told the Supreme Court.

“It is apparent that it is on account of political pressure in Maharashtra that neither the FIR was registered by Mumbai Police nor did they extend any cooperation to Bihar Police in discharging their obligation to conduct investigation expeditiously,” the Bihar government noted, adding that Bihar police officers who had gone to Mumbai to probe this case were not treated well by their Mumbai counterparts.