Sushant Singh Rajput death: SC rejects PIL seeking CBI status report on probe

The Supreme Court on Wednesday junked a PIL seeking direction to the CBI to submit a status report in Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian dismissed the plea filed by advocate Puneet Kaur Dhanda. “We are not going to entertain this. You go to the High Court,” the bench said. The petitioner had contended that the apex court passed an order for the CBI inquiry on 19 August, 2020 and despite a lapse of almost five months the probe agency is yet to conclude its investigation. “The CBI is not acting responsibly in the present case and there is a delay in the conclusion of the investigation of the case," it said. “Even in serious offences like murder, the law stipulates filing of charge sheet in 90 days but in the present case the premium investigating agency has failed miserably in their role and the unnecessary delay in the present case is bringing bad name to the administration of justice not only in our country but across the globe,” the plea said. It sought a direction to the CBI to complete its probe within two months and submit a final report in the concerned court. It said Rajput was found dead in mysterious circumstances and the probe was initially conducted by Mumbai Police. “On dissatisfaction being shown by the family of the late actor this Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct an enquiry in the mysterious death of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput,” the plea said. The PIL said that a fair, competent, impartial, and speedy investigation is the need of the hour. Rajput, 34, who made his silver screen debut in the critically acclaimed Kai Po Che seven years ago, was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on 14 June, 2020. The CBI had taken over the probe from Bihar Police into the alleged abetment to suicide case filed by the actor’s father K K Singh in Patna against Rajput’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family. * A collection of Suicide prevention helpline numbers  are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022 2754 6669