Sushant Singh’s death case: Bihar govt recommends CBI probe

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the director-general of police, (DGP), Bihar, Gupteshwar Pandey, spoke with the late actor’s father, KK Singh, and he gave his consent for the CBI probe.

The Bihar government on Tuesday gave its consent for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death by suicide on June 14 following a demand by his family members.

DGP Pandey also expressed his disappointment with the treatment meted out to Bihar Police officials by their Mumbai counterpart.(HT Photo)

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the director-general of police, (DGP), Bihar, Gupteshwar Pandey, spoke with the late actor’s father, KK Singh, and he gave his consent for the CBI probe.

“We are recommending the CBI probe in the matter, as per the procedure. The recommendation will be sent by Tuesday evening. The proceedings have started,” the CM told media persons.

“I have also spoken with his (Rajput’s) father and other family members and they have given their consent. The CBI inquiry was suggested by everyone in the case. Bihar Police started the investigation after the late actor’s father filed an FIR (first information report) in the case. However, Bihar Police didn’t get any cooperation from the Mumbai Police. Vinay Tiwari, a Bihar-cadre IPS (Indian Police Service) officer was also quarantined (because of the raging coronavirus disease [Covid-19] outbreak in Mumbai) on Sunday evening, despite prior information about his arrival,” the CM added.

Sources in the CM’s secretariat revealed that a notification for the CBI probe would be issued shortly.

Janata Dal (United) spokesperson Sanjay Singh also confirmed the development.

Satish Maneshinde, the lawyer of Rhea Chakroborty, Rajput’s reported girlfriend, and who has been accused by the late actor’s father for his son’s death by suicide, told news agency ANI: “There can’t be a transfer of a case, which had no legal basis for Bihar Police to get involved with. At best, it would be a ‘zero FIR’ transferable to Mumbai Police. Transfer of a case, on which they (Bihar Police) had no jurisdiction, to the CBI has no legal sanctity:”

DGP Pandey also expressed his disappointment with the treatment meted out to Bihar Police officials by their Mumbai counterpart.

He said that the Rajput’s family’s trust might have been broken because of how Bihar Police officials were dealt with by the Mumbai Police.

They must have understood that the Bihar Police authorities wanted to help them but they are unable to do things because of a lack of co-operation by the Mumbai Police, he added.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Chirag Paswan also spoke to CM Kumar and demanded a CBI probe in Rajput’s death case, whose echoes were felt in the Vidhan Sabha, as leaders cutting across party lines, raised the issue.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Neeraj Singh ‘Bablu’ and Rajput’s cousin also joined the chorus along with the leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) Tejaswhi Prasad Yadav, who demanded justice for the late actor’s family.

Bihar Police has interrogated 15 people connected with Rajput’s death to date.