Sushant Singh Rajput Death: Centre Accepts CBI Probe, SC Asks Mumbai Police to Submit Case Files

The Supreme Court Wednesday said the truth behind the death of “gifted and talented artist” Sushant Singh Rajput should come out, even as the Centre informed that it has accepted the recommendation of the Bihar government to initiate a CBI inquiry in the matter.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told the apex court that the Bihar government’s recommendation for CBI investigation in the case has been accepted.

A bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy directed Maharashtra, Bihar and Sushant’s father KK Singh to file their replies within three days on a plea by actress Rhea Chakraborty who is seeking transfer of an FIR, accusing her of abetting the suicide of Sushant, from Patna to Mumbai.

The apex court also asked Mumbai Police to place before it the status report of the probe conducted so far in Sushant’s death case. The apex court also pulled up the Maharastra government over putting Bihar’s IPS officer Vinay Tiwari in quarantine. Tiwari came to Mumbai from Patna to investigate Sushant’s death case on Sunday but was “forcibly quarantined” by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

“It doesn’t give the right message. He was there to do his job. You must do everything in a professional manner,” the bench said.

The bench also said that Sushant’s death took place in “unusual” circumstances and “the truth should unravel.”

“A gifted and talented artist has passed away in circumstances which are unusual. This was very unfortunate. Now, the circumstances in which this death took place needs to be inquired into,” the bench added.

Amid an unprecedented tug of war between the police of Bihar and Maharashtra over the right to probe the death of the actor who was found dead inside his Mumbai residence on June 14, Rhea has sought transfer of FIR lodged in Patna on the ground of jurisdiction. Maharashtra has also been opposed to transferring the probe to CBI.

Rhea, who had once allegedly tweeted to the Union Home Minister seeking CBI probe into the matter, on Tuesday opposed the move through her lawyer Satish Maneshinde by saying that the decision has “no legal sanctity”.

The actress, in her interim pleas filed with the pending transfer petition, said, “it is becoming increasingly evident through the widespread media reports that the captioned FIR (at Patna) was successfully filed in Patna only due to intervention of the Chief Minister of Bihar and other local politicians.

The plea said that the actress has a “strong prima facie case in her favour as it is submitted that the cause of action has not even remotely occurred within Patna, and there is no basis for Respondent No.1 to proceed with any kind of investigation.”

(With inputs from PTI)