The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has ruled out foul play in the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, nearly five years after he was found hanging at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.
The agency has filed closure reports in two separate cases—one pertaining to abetment to suicide allegations by Rajput’s father, KK Singh, and the other related to an FIR filed by Rhea Chakraborty against Rajput’s sister over an alleged illegal prescription.
The closure report in Singh’s case was submitted before a special court in Patna, the late actor’s hometown, while the findings in Chakraborty’s complaint were presented before a Mumbai court.
Rajput, 34, was found dead at his apartment in Mumbai in what an initial police probe concluded as suicide.
The postmortem report confirmed asphyxia due to hanging. However, the case sparked nationwide media attention, leading to various conspiracy theories and public outcry.
Allegations against Rhea Chakraborty
Rajput’s father had accused Rhea Chakraborty, the actor’s rumoured girlfriend, of abetting his son’s suicide and misappropriating his finances. In his complaint, he alleged that Chakraborty siphoned off ₹15 crore from Rajput’s accounts and had been administering him drugs.
The allegations led to Chakraborty’s arrest in a related narcotics case. She spent 28 days in custody before being granted bail.
However, after extensive investigation, the CBI found no evidence to support the claims. Expert opinions, crime scene analysis, witness testimonies, and forensic reports collectively ruled out any external pressure leading to Rajput’s death.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) forensic team also ruled out poisoning or strangulation.
Chakraborty’s counter allegations
Chakraborty had filed a counter-FIR against Rajput’s sister, Priyanka Singh, and a Delhi-based doctor, accusing them of prescribing medication to the actor without proper consultation. The case, initially probed by Mumbai Police, was later transferred to the CBI. Chakraborty alleged that Rajput took the prescribed medicine days before his death.
The CBI, however, found no substantial evidence supporting Chakraborty’s claims and concluded that there was no foul play involved in the prescription.
The courts will now decide whether to accept the closure reports or order further investigation.
Legal and political reactions
Reacting to the development, Chakraborty’s lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, welcomed the CBI’s findings, stating that the probe had uncovered the "false narratives" that dominated social and electronic media.
He criticised the “unwarranted media trial” that followed Rajput’s death, highlighting that Chakraborty “suffered immense hardship” due to the allegations.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using Rajput’s death for political gains.
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant alleged that the BJP “exploited” the tragedy to malign the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and influence the Bihar elections.
