MUMBAI MIRROR (August 1, 2020)

The Bihar government said that it will oppose a petition filed by Rhea Chakraborty in the Supreme Court challenging the jurisdiction of the Patna Police in lodging an FIR in connection with the suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput and starting an investigation. Advocate General Lalit Kishore said the state will be represented before the apex court by former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.

Kishore asserted that the matter fell very much within the jurisdiction of the state as the FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint filed by Rajput’s father K K Singh, who resides in Patna. “There have been many instances of cases being registered away from the site of an incident if links to the offence happen to be in the other place,” the Advocate General reasoned, scoffing at Chakraborty’s contention that all cases in the matter be shifted to Mumbai, pointing out that the Mumbai Police has not even lodged an FIR.

Kishore said everyone in the country is bound by the Constitution to abide by an order that has been passed by the Supreme Court when asked whether the Bihar government would find it agreeable if the apex court directs for clubbing of all the cases and moving these to Mumbai or orders a CBI inquiry. “Let us wait for a few days. The apex court will come out with its order which will lend clarity,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has opposed the need for a CBI enquiry into Rajput’s death and said the Mumbai Polices probe was sufficient.