Hours after the Supreme Court denied a plea for interim protection, the Enforcement Directorate reportedly summoned actor Rhea Chakraborty’s for investigation in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
Yesterday, the agency had examined Sushant’s chartered accountant, Sandeep Sridhar, to get details of the financial transactions related to him and the companies he had set up in the recent past.
Sridhar, earlier, had denied major transfer of money from Sushant’s account, except a few thousand, took place in Rhea’s account.
The Mumbai police had initiated an inquiry in the case, but, bot satisfied with the progess made by them, KK Singh, the actor’s father, lodged FIR in Patna on July 28, accusing Rhea and others of abetment of suicide, criminal conspiracy and cheating.
Singh alleged embezzlement of Rs 15 crore deposited in Sushant’s bank account within a short span of time.
Sushant was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his Mumbai apartment on June 14.
Later in the evening, the centre issued notification with regard to a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into Sushant’s death.
Earlier in the day, the centre had submitted before the apex court that it had accepted Bihar government’s request for CBI probe.
“Serious allegations have been leveled against the petitioner. She has applied for transfer of proceedings from Patna to Mumbai…Bihar Police has already entrusted investigation to CBI. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has stated that in principle, Centre has accepted the CBI probe request,” the apex court added.
The submission was made during the hearing of Rhea’s plea seeking transfer of the cases filed against her in relation to Sushant’s death, from Bihar to Mumbai.
During the hearing, Justice Hrishikesh Roy observed that there was a need for a probe to find out whether there is criminality involved because Sushant died under unusual circumstances.
He also slammed Mumbai police for quarantining Bihar police especially when the case caught media attention. He also asked Maharashtra to ensure professionalism while probing the case after he overruled Maharashtra government’s counsel, Vikas Singh’s submission that the Mumbai police was doing a very professional job.
Justice Roy admitted Sushant family’s counsel Vikas Singh’s submission that the entire Bollywood film industry was called for questioning and recording statements by Mumbai Police, but the person who lowered the body of Sushant from the ceiling fan has been allowed to go to Hyderabad.
The Court also gave three days for all parties to file replies. Maharashtra has been directed to update the Court on the status of the Mumbai Police’s investigation. The matter will be heard next week.
Rhea had moved the apex court seeking transfer of the case lodged against her and others in relation to the suicide of Sushant from Patna to Mumbai.
The plea states that Rhea has been falsely implicated in the case. It added that the actor was suffering from depression from some time and was also on anti-depressants.
Therefore, he committed suicide on the morning of June 14 at his Bandra residence by hanging himself, the plea said.
The petition highlights Section 177 CrPC, which mandates that every offence shall be inquired into and tried by the Magistrate within whose local jurisdiction it was committed.
Bihar and Maharashtra governments have already filed caveats in apex court seeking to be heard before any order is passed on Rhea’s plea.
Singh has also filed a caveat in the matter.
Rhea had also stated that she has received death and rape threats after Sushant’s death. She also claimed she is in deep trauma due to Sushant’s death, which has multiplied further due to the media sensitivity of the case.
She has also filed a complaint at Santa Cruz Police Station regarding these threats.