SC Asks Maha Govt To Assist CBI: Reopening Of Disha Salian Case Likely

The Supreme Court today ordered Maharashtra government to hand over Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case to CBI after it dismissed Rhea Chakraborty’s plea for transfer of case from Patna to Mumbai.

With this order, there are high chances of reopening of Disha Salian death case.

Report in points

• Supreme Court rejects Rhea Chakraborty’s plea in Sushant Singh Rajput case
• The verdict has put to rest the jurisdictional tussle between Bihar Police and Mumbai Police
• The court also directed CBI to look into any other cases registered in the future in relation to the death of Rajput. This means that it can reopen Disha Salian’s death case.

• Bihar Police had already handed over the investigation to CBI
• The court declined to entertain Maharashtra government which sought to appeal against its order ijn favour of Bihar Police.
• Court holds FIR lodged by Bihar Police as lawful. The FIR was lodged in Patna at a time when the Mumbai Police was conducting a probe into Rajput’s death.
• The court asks Maharashtra Police to assist CBI investigation
• The court asks Mumbai Police to hand over all the evidence to CBI
• On July 30, Rhea had moved the court seeking transfer of the case lodged against her. She stated that the FIR in Patna alleging abetment to suicide charges against her is nothing but an act of “connivance” between the State of Bihar and SSR’s father
• Mumbai Police had informed the court in its affidavit that the initial statements made by Sushant’s family in connection with his June 14 death do not indicate any suspicion on the cause of death, apart from suicide
• Mumbai Police had submitted its investigation status report in a sealed envelope, averring that pending the adjudication of the transfer plea, the CBI ought not have gone ahead and registered the FIR or constituted a committee for conducting the investigation
• Bihar Police had stated that Rhea’s plea seeking transfer of FIR from Patna to Mumbai is not maintainable
• Bihar Police had averred that Section 406 of the Code of Criminal Procedure cannot be invoked for transferring investigation from one state to another
• In her additional affidavit filed before the court amid the tug of war of jurisdiction between the states, Rhea questioned the manner in which the CBI has now assumed jurisdiction over the case. She also registered objection to media reports “sensationalizing the case” in her additional affidavit.
• The judgment was passed by a Single Judge Bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy