What is the Sushant Singh Rajput case status, 7 months after his death?

Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead on June 14, 2020, at his Bandra, Mumbai home. He was 34. The actor’s father, KK Singh, had lodged a complaint with the Patna police on July 25, naming Rhea Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda, and others. In the FIR, he had also accused Rhea of siphoning off crores from the actor’s bank account. None of these charges have been proven yet.

WHAT IS THE STATUS OF INVESTIGATION IN SUSHANT DEATH CASE?

After KK Singh’s FIR, Rhea moved the Supreme Court and a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe was ordered. It has been seven months since Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead. The CBI is yet to declare if it was a case of suicide or murder.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy had asked for an update on the Sushant Singh Rajput death case in December 2020. Responding to the same, the CBI had said that they were looking into all aspects.

WITNESSESES EXAMINED, CBI CLAIMS THOROUGH INVESTIGATION DONE

The CBI, during its investigation, examined all the witnesses and said that they have carried out a 'thorough investigation' in the case. The agency further added that the investigation is being conducted using the 'latest scientific techniques'.

"During investigation, advanced mobile forensic equipment including latest software have been used for extraction and analysis of relevant data available in the digital devices and also for analysis of dump data of the relevant cell tower locations related to the case," the CBI's letter in response to Subramanian Swamy's query read.

The CBI officials visited Aligarh, Faridabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Manesar and Patna to collect evidence and record statements during their investigation.

SIMULATION EXERCISE CARRIED OUT

In its letter, the CBI also mentioned that their experts had carried out a simulation exercise to find out what really happened at Sushant Singh Rajput's Bandra home on June 14. Their letter also said that the senior officers, along with the investigating team, visited the place of incident, i.e. Sushant Singh Rajput's Bandra home, several times to get a better idea of the circumstances related to his death.

"The experts of CFSL (Central Forensic Science Laboratory), New Delhi, considered the best in their field in India, also visited and examined the place of incident," the agency said.

COOPER HOSPITAL DOCTORS QUESTIONED

In the course of their investigation, CBI officials also questioned doctors of Cooper Hospital who had performed an autopsy on the late actor. Sushant was rushed to the Cooper Hospital in Mumbai after his death and his autopsy was conducted there after sunset. Based on medical opinion and statements, the Mumbai Police had earlier declared that Sushant Singh Rajput's death was a case of suicide. They had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) on June 14 and began investigating the case with a suicide angle.

On the other hand, after KK Singh's FIR, the Bihar Police started carrying out a parallel investigation. Both investigations stopped when the case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020.

FOUL PLAY RULED OUT BY AIIMS DOCTORS

"Sushant death is a case of suicide. Murder completely ruled out," Dr Sudhir Gupta, who led the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) panel re-evaluating the post-mortem and viscera reports of the actor, had told India Today last year. The AIIMS panel, formed to re-examine the viscera samples and autopsy reports of Sushant Singh Rajput, had therefore ruled out foul play. However, the CBI is yet to specify if Sushant Singh Rajput's death was a case of murder or suicide.

RHEA CHAKRABORTY'S ARREST BY NCB

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are also probing the drug and money laundering angles in the case. The NCB had arrested Rhea Chakraborty on September 8 in the drug probe being carried out by them. Rhea stayed in Mumbai's Byculla jail for nearly a month and was released on bail in October. Her brother, Showik Chakraborty was also arrested by the NCB and was released on bail in December 2020.

ALSO READ | On 6 months of Sushant Singh Rajput's death, his brother-in-law shares advice for fans

ALSO READ | Irrfan to Sushant Singh Rajput, Bollywood celebrities we lost in 2020