By So the CBI, sources said, is now that concentrate on the gamut of reasons that might have led to the actor taking his own life: any role played by Chakraborty; professional rivalry and nepotism in Bollywood; effect of drug abuse, and Rajput’s mental state.
The AIIMS report declaring the death of Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput a “case of suicide” matches the conclusion the CBI’s investigators reached after their reconstruction of the incident. And a forensic audit of Rajput’s bank accounts has not thrown up anything “suspicious” to suggest that his friend Rhea Chakraborty could have pushed Rajput to suicide for gain.
Of the over Rs 70 crore worth of transactions through Rajput’s accounts within the past five years, only about Rs, 55 lakh are found to possess been associated with Chakraborty. Most of these, sources said, were expenses on travel, spas, and gifts.
“Chakraborty continues to be under scanner for abetment to suicide. But it’s true CBI hasn’t yet found any motive for abetment. There was a forensic audit done of Rajput’s account. there’s nothing concrete within the audit report back to suggest that Chakraborty siphoned off funds and this led to the actor’s suicide. The expenses incurred by Rajput on her are comparatively small and should easily be explained as expenses on a devotee. However, there are many angles to the suicide and our investigation remains on,” said an official conscious of probe details.
Rajput’s father KK Singh, within the FIR registered by Bihar police, had alleged that Rs 15 crore had been siphoned away from the actor’s bank accounts and had blamed Chakraborty for it.
Sources said the AIIMS report confirms its own initial findings. After it took over the case in August on orders of the Supreme Court, the agency had taken its forensic team to Rajput’s Mumbai residence. The team had taken stock of the circumstances during which his body was found hanging and had re-created the scene with a life-size dummy.
“The crime scene recreation fit with the thought of suicide. There was no evidence of forced entry, no signs of struggle (during a scuffle) on the body, and initial forensic reports didn’t suggest poisoning or sedation. The circumstances pointed towards suicide. But to be doubly sure, the matter has mentioned a panel of doctors from AIIMS, which has now come to the same conclusion,” said the official.
The CBI, sources said, questioned over twenty-four people within the case. These include Chakraborty and her family members; Rajput’s family members; his staff and house manager; staff at banks where he held accounts; his psychiatrist and a couple of friends and acquaintances. The agency also questioned staff at a Pavna dam resort where Rajput had gone for a vacation.
Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty after being arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in regard to drugs-related allegations within the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case, from NCB office at Ballard Estate, in Mumbai (PTI)
The agency has also probed the suicide of Rajput’s former manager Disha Salian who allegedly jumped off a building days before Rajput’s death. Salian’s death came under the CBI scanner as Rajput had Google-searched the incident of her death before allegedly killing himself.
As far as Rajput’s financial dealings are concerned, investigations have found that a significant neighborhood of his expenses was on the acquisition of property, cars, and bikes apart from salaries of staff, payments to PR agencies, and taxes. He had once asked a bank staff for a change in access to his bank accounts but the rationale for the same has not been ascertained yet.
Sources said the CBI is additionally investigating if professional reasons – any missed opportunities – could have triggered the suicide. But the agency is yet to question any producer or director during this connection.
“We are also watching drug consumption and thus the impact it’s getting to or won’t have had on the actor’s mental state. Whether the consumption was voluntary or a neighborhood of the planning as alleged by the actor’s family,” the official said.
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