CBI’s closure report in Sushant case holds no legal value: Satish Salian’s advocate

MUMBAI: Advocate Nilesh Ojha stated the CBI's closure report in Sushant Singh Rajput's case holds no legal value, urging the court to investigate further.

MUMBAI: Subsequent to the CBI’s closure report in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, the National President of the Indian Bar Association, advocate Nilesh Ojha, who is representing Disha Salian’s father in the Bombay high court, issued an official letter, saying that the closure report held no legal value before the court and the court could still take cognisance to order further investigation. “This development has caused disappointment, confusion, and a sense of betrayal among many supporters and citizens who have fought for a fair and thorough investigation,” he said.

CBI’s closure report in Sushant case holds no legal value: Satish Salian’s advocate

The CBI on Saturday closed the case, ruling out any foul play in Rajput’s death. The closure report effectively gave a clean chit to actress Rhea Chakraborty and her family members, who were accused by Rajput’s family of driving their son to suicide and embezzling his funds, and confirmed that Rajput took his own life.

Ojha’s letter, issued on Saturday, cited the infamous 2012 Arushi-Hemraj double murder case, where the CBI had submitted a closure report, claiming insufficient evidence to prosecute Dr Rajesh Talwar. However, the magistrate court had rejected the closure report and proceeded to summon Dr Talwar and others for the murders as well as for tampering with evidence. This order was upheld by the Supreme Court. “The case is a strong reminder that the court has the final word, not the investigating agency. The law gives us ample scope to question, challenge, and even seek prosecution of officers who act in bad faith or under political pressure,” he added.

Claiming that “this so-called closure report” had “absolutely no legal finality or binding value until it is formally accepted by the competent court”, Ojha said it had no bearing on the Disha Salian case. “It is just another legal hurdle which we are prepared to tackle with full force,” he said.

Talking about recourse, Ojha stated that they still had the option of filing a protest petition before the court challenging the closure report and seeking further investigation by another agency or SIT under judicial supervision. He further suggested initiating prosecution against CBI officials for dereliction of duty or suppression of material facts or for filing false and misleading report before the court.