The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) hasn’t been able to finalise its investigation into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput even after three years for want of response from the US on its queries related to technical evidence, people familiar with the development said.
Sushant Singh Rajput. (Hindustan Times)
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The premier anti-corruption agency sent a formal request in 2021 to California-headquartered Google and Facebook, asking them to share details of all deleted chats, emails or posts of the actor so that it could analyse the content and understand the background to the events of June 14, 2020, the day Rajput was found dead at his apartment in Mumbai.
India and the US have a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) under which both sides can gain access to information in any domestic investigation, which otherwise may not be possible.
“We are still waiting for a response from the US on this technical evidence, which may help us take the case to a logical conclusion. The case is pending finalisation (because of this),” said a CBI officer, who didn’t want to be named.
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HT first reported in November 2021 that CBI had approached the US authorities for information in the case.
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HT first reported in November 2021 that CBI had approached the US authorities for information in the case.
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Senior advocate Vikas Singh, who represents Sushant Singh’s family, said he was not aware of the request for technical evidence but added that “CBI is trying to give a slow death (to the case)”.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed in an interview with a TV channel on Wednesday that some individuals have claimed that they possess substantial evidence regarding the case and that the state has “reached out to them and requested they submit the evidence to the police.”, He added that the state was “in the process of examining the credibility of presented evidence”.
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HT reached out to CBI to ascertain whether it was the recipient of any fresh evidence, as claimed by Fadnavis, but the agency did not respond.
CBI said after taking over the investigation in 2020 that it was looking into all aspects in the actor’s death. Among the angles it is exploring are abetment of suicide charges against his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty; and whether the actor took the step under any professional pressure.
It has already examined dozens of people including the actor’s friends, staff, his doctors, actress Chakraborty and her family members, and several members of the film fraternity. It has also studied the findings of the medical board of AIIMS, which after studying the post-mortem examination and viscera reports, concluded in September 2020 that the actor’s death was a case of suicide. Singh’s family has, however, called the findings faulty.
CBI said in a statement in December 2020 that it was probing the case using the latest scientific techniques. “During the investigation, advanced mobile forensic equipment including the latest software has 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 agency had also visited several cities including Aligarh, Faridabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Manesar and Patna to collect evidence and record statements.
Mumbai police, which initially looked into the case, didn’t find any foul play.
Neeraj Chauhan is a senior journalist with Hindustan Times and an investigative reporter specialising in national security, terrorism, organised crime, narcotics, corruption, financial crime and complex investigations. With over 21 years of experience across Hindustan Times, The Times of India, The Indian Express and The Pioneer, he has built deep expertise in India’s internal security and law-enforcement landscape. Neeraj has extensively covered India’s principal investigative, intelligence and security agencies, including the NIA, CBI, ED, IB, R&AW, MHA and other central security forces. His work has included deeply reported investigations into terrorism, terror financing, cross-border crime, narcotics trafficking, cybercrime, financial fraud and political and corporate corruption. He has reported on some of the most significant terror attacks and security developments in India over the past two decades, including the Delhi serial blasts, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the 2019 Pulwama terror attack and the recent Pahalgam attack. His reporting has also chronicled the rise and decline of the Indian Mujahideen, the activities and subsequent crackdown on the Popular Front of India (PFI), Islamist extremist networks, the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, insurgencies in the Northeast and Maoist violence. Some of Neeraj’s major breaking stories are in Aryan Khan drug case, Sushant Singh Rajput suicide, interception of a 3,000-kg Afghan heroin consignment worth about ₹21,000 crore at Mundra port, Sri Lanka easter bombings, Aarushi-Hemraj murders in Noida, 2G scam, coal block allocation scam, AgustWestland VVIP chopper deal and major bank frauds and extradition cases involving Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya. His reporting is marked by an ability to cultivate sources, analyse confidential and complex documents, and follow investigations over several years—from the initial breakthrough to chargesheets, trials and international legal proceedings. He specialises in making complicated security and investigative developments accessible while examining their wider implications for governance and public policy. A Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme Fellow at the University of Westminster, Neeraj also spent time at the Financial Times as part of the fellowship. He was also a Robert Bosch Media Ambassadors India-Germany Fellow, studying at the University of Tübingen and working with Der Tagesspiegel in Berlin. He has previously taught investigative journalism and crime reporting as a guest faculty member at the Times School of Journalism. Over more than two decades, Neeraj has established himself as an authoritative voice on India’s national security and investigative landscape, with his reporting closely followed by officials, investigators, lawyers, policymakers and readers seeking insight into some of the country’s most complex and consequential developments.
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Home/India News/Awaiting response from US on clues: CBI in Sushant Singh Rajput case
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