CBI for SSR: Highlights of the Supreme Court’s verdict; A Timeline to Sushant Singh Rajput’s Death Investigation!

Sushant Singh Rajput’s death investigation seems a step closer towards attaining justice for the late actor. Reportedly, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the CBI to probe into the mysterious suicidal death (June 14, 2020) of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

While the nation has offered a warm welcome the SC’s verdict in the case, check out these highlights from the hearing:

• 1) The Supreme Court has asked the Mumbai police to transfer all the evidence (collected so far) to CBI. 
• 2) The FIR registered at Patna on the complaint filed by Rajput's father was correct. The court added that the Bihar government had the right to refer the Patna FIR lodged by Rajput's father to CBI.
• 3) The CBI will also probe other FIRs related to the Rajput death case.
• 4) The apex court has also ruled that CBI will be the sole authority to probe the mystery behind Rajput's suicidal death. No Police from other States could interfere with the investigation. 
• 5) The court further observed that since the Mumbai police had registered only an accidental death report for Rajput's death, it had limited investigation powers. Since Bihar police registered a full-fledged FIR which already stands referred to CBI, the central agency should probe the case

The case

On July 25, KK Singh, the father of Rajput, had submitted a complaint to the Patna police against Chakraborty, her family members, and a few others, alleging they abetted his son's suicide.

Based on the complaint, the Patna police had filed an FIR against Chakraborty and others. In the complaint, Singh had also claimed that an amount of Rs 15 crore was siphoned off from his son's bank account.

The FIR

The FIR in Patna was registered by Singh against Chakraborty and others for alleged offenses 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).

Centre

Entering the fray, solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the SC that it was a fit case for the CBI probe as Mumbai police had not registered an FIR and had declared that it was a case of suicide.

"We do not know what is the role of Chakraborty in the case — witness, accused, complainant or nobody? Yet, she moves an application in the SC seeking transfer of the FIR to Mumbai. What is her interest in seeking transfer when she should be interested only in a fair probe, irrespective of the agency which investigates the case," said Mehta.

Bihar government

The Bihar government told SC that “political clout” has not allowed Mumbai Police to even register an FIR in Rajput's case.

Maharashtra government

Maharashtra government had argued that Bihar completely lacks jurisdiction in the matter.

Rhea Chakraborty

Chakraborty's counsel had told the bench that probe by Mumbai Police has "proceeded quite substantially" as it has recorded statements of 56 persons in the case.

KK Singh (Sushant Singh Rajput's father)

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing Rajput's father, Krishna Kishore Singh, had countered submissions advanced by Chakraborty's counsel and said that they have "no faith" in Maharashtra Police.

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.

Meanwhile, the prayers of Sushant Singh Rajput's family, celebrities, and millions of fans have been answered after SC's verdict. Many have taken to their social media handles to celebrate the apex court's decision and sigh a breath of relief. 

(With Inputs from Times of India)