The mystery surrounding of the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput is taking new twists and turns with every passing day. What at first seemed as a tragic suicide scenario, is slowly turning into a thriller-movie sort conspiracy theatre, with new layers being uncovered. Recently, the Bombay High court ordered the transfer of the case from the purview of Mumbai Police to CBI, with the motive to expedite the investigation of the case, after much hue and cry caused by Sushant’s kith and kin, which alleged foul - play in the conduct of the Local Police Authorities. The investigating authorities began their inquest with interrogating as many as 60 people till now, who even had any remote acquaintance with Sushant in connection to the conundrum of his death. As of now 3central investigation agencies are examining the cervices of this case, with the Maharashtra police and Bihar Police engaged in their own personal tussle in the background. With every passing day a new revelation is being made, this suicide-murder mystery is turning out to be a full-blow science-fiction detective novel themed narrative. Of late, the involvement of Sushant’sgirlfriend Rhea Chakraborty has surfaced, leading to a new fork in this case. With the angle of drug and money laundering coming into the picture, it can only be surmised that the Sushant Singh mystery has quite some uncovered truths to be seen in the forthcoming investigations.
The Drug Scandal
What initially started as a meager murder or suicide mystery slowly veered off into a more sinister web of drugs and money laundering scandal. The WhatsApp conversations of the late actor’s girlfriend with a string of shady individuals hints her involvement in a drug deal with a bigger drug syndicate. Subsequent findings by NCB and ED reveal that Rhea was actively involved in procuring drugs for Sushant, possibly herself as well. Earlier interrogations with Shushant’s cook and maintenance staff revealed that Sushant was, in fact, and active consumer of illegal drugs. The ED had earlier probed Reha’s involvement in administering drugs to Sushant, such as MDMA. One of her electronic conversations an unidentified person hints her spiking Sushant’s tea with some liquid substance called cannabidiol oil. Rhea has publicly maintained that she has never consumed drugs, nor she had any direct or indirect links with any of the drug peddlers or providers such as apprehended by the authorities. Rhea also confessed that she was aware of Sushant’s uncontrollable drug abuse habits, but was unable to do anything to rescue him from this vice. Rhea has actively been involved in shifting the blame Sushant’s family members for “not giving proper attention “ to Sushant’s well-being and post his death trying to paint and a defamatory and criminal portrait of her in the media through scathing remarks and statements.
After weeks of refraining, the NCB arrested Rhea for procuring drugs for Sushant. Her brother Showik confessed to having facilitated certain kinds of drugs, which are in the prohibited degree, for Rhea. While Showik and Samuel are held under remand by the NCB, The Bureau has booked Rhea under section 8(c), 20(b), 27, 28, and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropics Substance, Act (NDPS). The arrest, however, came as an unexpected development in this cloudy death case since Rhea wasn’t initially charged by the authorities for drug-related offenses. The prima facie apprehension framed by the enforcement authorities as well as Shushant’s family members against his former partner Rhea was based on criminal charges related to swindling, theft, abetment of suicide, wrongful restraint among other offenses.
Timeline of Events –
- 14th June, 2020 –Actor Sushant Singh Rajput is found dead by hanging in his South Bombay Apartment. No suicide note was found at the scene.
- 25th June 2020 – Sushant’s Autopsy report submitted, cause of death was stated to be “asphyxia due to hanging”, no foul-play in the death registered.
- 20th June 2020 – Mumbai Police begins interrogating Sushant’s staff, 7 days after his body was recovered from his Bandra Flat.
- 16th July 2020 – Rhea Chakraborty issues a video on social media, refraining for making any personal testimonies and making pleas for an impartial CBI inquiry in the matter.
- 25th July 2020 – Sushant’s father Mr. KK Singh filed an FIR against Rhea Chakroborty at a Patna Police Station. The Enforcement Directorate simultaneously slapped a money laundering case on the accused as well.
- 30th July 2020 – Rhea files caveat in the Supreme Court, seeking transfer of the case from Bihar to Mumbai.
- 3rd August 2020 –IPS Officer forms the Bihar Police Vinay Tiwari forcibly quarantined by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) upon arriving in Mumbai for investigating the case.
- 6th August 2020 – CBI files an FIR against Rhea Chakraborty and other key suspects in the case.
- 19th August 2020 – Exercising its powers of jurisdiction, the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the case to the CBI.
- 26th August 2020 – Narcotics Control Bureau files a criminal case against Rhea citing her alleged involvement in a drug peddling ring.
- 28th August 2020 – Rhea summoned before the CBI for inquiry for the first time.
- 5th September 2020 – Mumbai District Court remanded Rhea’s brother Showik Chakraborty and manager Samuel Miranda to the custody of NCB for 4 days in connection to the drug probe.
- 8th September 2020 - NCB arrests Rhea in connection to the procurement and usage of drugs along with her brother and Samuel Miranda. She is remanded in NCB custody for 14 days on charges of varying drug-related offenses.
