Sushant Singh Rajput death: Citing AIIMS report, Shiv Sena slams critics of Mumbai police

In its conclusive medico-legal opinion to the CBI, the team dismissed the claims of “poisoning and strangling” made in the case of Rajput’s death

Maharashtra’s ruling Shiv Sena on Monday cited a report of a team of forensic experts from New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) ruling out murder in actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and slammed those who targeted the Mumbai Police over its investigations in the case. It also sought an apology for those who “maligned” Maharashtra over the death. The Sena asked the Maharashtra government to file a defamation suit against those who “deliberately defamed” the state government as part of a “conspiracy” against the ruling alliance.

Sushant Singh Rajput. (HT Archive)

In its conclusive medico-legal opinion to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the team dismissed the claims of “poisoning and strangling” made in the case of Rajput’s death.

“The truth ultimately comes out and this is what exactly happened when Dr Sudhir Gupta, who heads the Forensic Department [of AIIMS], declared it as a suicide. Dr Gupta does not belong to the Shiv Sena’s medical wing neither is he connected to Mumbai. In fact, AIIMS enjoys such a good reputation that even [Union] home minister Amit Shah regularly visits it,” said Sena’s mouthpiece, Saamna, in an editorial. It said this confirmed the Mumbai Police were a doing a professional job and was subject to unjust ridicule.

The editorial said Rajput’s family was used by some vested interests for their narrow political agenda. It added for this former Bihar police chief Gupteshwar Pandey, who has since quit to join the ruling Janata Dal (United), or JD (U), was seen running his agenda. “The Bihar elections did not have any issue and hence [chief minister] Nitish Kumar and other politicians latched on this issue. Gupteshwar Pandey also played along and finally joined Nitish Kumar’s party. He has in fact defamed the uniform. It is surprising now he has not uttered a single work condemning the Hathras rape incident,” said the editorial.

The Sena said the experts’ opinion proves the late actor used to consume drugs and that was the reason why his partner, Rhea Chakraborty, is now in prison. “Had the law allowed, then even the deceased Sushant Singh would have been tried for the consumption of drugs.”

The Mumbai Police were criticised for the mishandling the investigations. The Bihar Police also took up the case before the Supreme Court handed it over the case to the CBI.