Sushant S Rajput’s talent manager quizzed for 11 hrs by ED; Centre tells SC Mumbai Police statements invalid due to no FIR

In a fresh development in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, the late actor’s talent manager Jayanti Shah, was interrogated for 11 hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday.
According to a report in TimesNow, the ED questioned Shah on Rajput’s professional and personal life. The interrogation also included questions about Rajput’s film projects over the last two years and his alleged illness.

The ED is probing the money-laundering angle in Rajput’s death, after the late actor’s father pointed out financial irregularities in his Patna FIR. The central intelligence agency has already questioned the actor’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family members, friend Siddharth Pithani, ex-manager Shruti Modi among others.

Earlier on Thursday, Chakraborty’s counsel, the Bihar government, Maharashtra government, Rajput’s counsel and the Centre filed their written submissions in the apex court, regarding the petition filed by the actress seeking a transfer of the probe from Bihar to Mumbai.

In its written submission, the Centre said that the Mumbai Police has no legal sanctity to record the statements of 56 people as it had not registered an FIR in Rajput’s case. Maharashtra government, in its affidavit, had said that it has collected statements of 56 people while probing Rajput’s death.

“Maharashtra police has said in its affidavit that it has collected statements of 56 people. In view of the position that no FIR has been registered and the police officer is merely discharging functions under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code, such statements have no validity or legal sanctity and are non-est,” the Centre said in its written submissions two days after the SC reserved its verdict, according to a Times of India report.

In its submissions drafted by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the Centre argued that the police gets the jurisdiction to record statements of the witnesses only after an FIR has been registered which has not happened in this case.

“It is only after registration of FIR that the police get jurisdiction to record statements of witnesses and not otherwise. Even after registration of an FIR, the police officer is mandated to intimate the magistrate about the same and thereafter everything happens under judicial supervision. This has admittedly not taken place,” read the submission as per TOI.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra government also claimed in its written submission that the police is currently probing the ‘Kedarnath’ actor’s death, and if it finds that a cognisable offence has been committed, an FIR will be registered.

In her written submission, Chakraborty said the transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at the behest of the Bihar police was without jurisdiction.

The Bihar government, in its submission filed through its lawyer Keshav Mohan, said: "It is apparent that it is on account of political pressure in the State of Maharashtra that neither the FIR has been registered by the Mumbai Police nor did they extend any cooperation to Bihar Police in discharging their obligation to conduct investigation expeditiously."

The Supreme Court verdict on Chakraborty’s plea is awaited.