On Monday, Maharashtra's home minister Anil Deshmukh sought to know the status of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) probe, more than six weeks after the agency took up the investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
Claiming that the probe has gone silent, the Maharashtra minister in his interaction with the media said, "You all know that the investigation into the Sushant death case was being done very professionally by the Maharashtra Police and Mumbai Police. But it was abruptly handed over to the CBI. We eagerly want to know... Even the people are now asking whether Sushant died by suicide or if he was murdered. We want the details of the CBI probe to come out."
Consequently, the CBI issued a statement.
"The CBI is conducting a professional investigation related to the death of Sushant Singh Rajput in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date. The investigations are continuing," CBI spokesperson R.K. Gaur said.
The late actor's case which was being probed by the Mumbai Police was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation after the Supreme Court's order to that direction. The SC had asked Mumbai Police to hand over all evidence collected in the case to CBI, ensuring that there was no confusion about the agency being a sole authority to probe the mystery behind Rajput's death.
While the CBI is conducting the overall probe focusing on the actor`s death, two other central agencies, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) are probing the financial and drugs angle that subsequently emerged.
So far, while the CBI and the ED are yet to make any arrest in connection with their probe, the NCB seems to have made a head way by nabbing 20 persons so far. It is also interrogating several prominent Bollywood personalities such as Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor in a drugs related case. Those arrested include Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, and 18 other drug peddlers, suppliers, traders etc.
Sushant, 34, was found dead in his bedroom at his Bandra flat on June 14.
(With inputs from IANS)
