THE TIMES OF INDIA (September 12, 2020)

Mumbai: The Anti-Narcotics Cell of Mumbai police on Friday started a probe into actor Kangana Ranaut’s alleged drug links, reports S Ahmed Ali. Joint CP (crime) Milind Bharambe, who held a meeting with ANC officers, said: “Today, we have received the order from the home minister for the probe. We are looking into it.”

On Tuesday, home minister Anil Deshmukh had said cops would probe allegations that Ranaut took drugs after it was brought to his notice that Adhyayan Suman, Ranaut’s ex-boyfriend, had in a 2016 interview claimed she consumed drugs and also forced him to do so.

Adhyayan is the son of actor Shekhar Suman. Sources said the ANC will analyse the video interview and record Adhyayan’s statement. “We will analyse it and then summon Kangana for questioning,” an officer said, adding as the interview was four years old, it could be difficult to establish it.

Reacting to the news of the minister saying he would order a probe, Kangana had tweeted: “I am more than happy to oblige @MumbaiPolice @AnilDeshmukhNCP please do my drug tests investigate my call records if you find any links to drug peddlers ever I will accept my mistake and leave Mumbai forever, looking forward to meet you.”

Prafulla Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 10, 2020)

Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar has expressed disquiet over the manner in which the BMC demolished a portion of the Bandra bungalow of actor Kangana Ranaut.

The NCP leader has taken the view that the civic action was in haste, and as a result, drew censure from the Bombay high court.

“I have no information on the illegal construction. Illegal and unauthorised constructions are not new for BMC. But questions have been raised, in view of the current situation and timing of the demolition. Certainly, BMC has its own rules; the officials involved in the demolition process must have followed the procedure,” Pawar said.

Later in the day, Pawar had a prolonged meeting with Uddhav Thackeray at Varsha, CM’s official residence. According to reports, they discussed the Ranaut issue, the Supreme Court verdict on Maratha reservation, and the Covid pandemic.

While Congress did not react to Pawar’s statement, senior NCP leaders endorsed his views. “In Mumbai, there are 95,000 unauthorised structures, but BMC is taking action selectively. The demolition has had an adverse impact on the MVA government,” a senior NCP minister told TOI.

Pawar did not name Ranaut, but indicated that undue importance was being given to her comments. “...People of Maharashtra are aware of the confidence and professionalism of the Mumbai as well as Maharashtra Police. If someone compares the force with those in Pakistan or any other country, there is no need to take cognizance. Media should not give undue publicity to such statements.”

On the threat calls received by him, Pawar said home minister Anil Deshmukh has given him the details. “According to information from the home minister, I have received seven calls. In the past too, I had received similar calls, but he never attached importance to them.”
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Governor summons principal advisor to CM, criticises ‘inept handling of Kangana episode’

Prafulla Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 10, 2020)

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari showed his displeasure over chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s “inept handling of the Kangana Ranaut episode”, particularly the haste shown by the Shiv Sena-controlled BMC in demolishing sections of the actor’s Bandra bungalow. Koshyari is likely to submit a report to the Centre on the controversy.

According to reports, Koshyari summoned the CM’s principal advisor Ajoy Mehta to discuss the situation arising out of Ranaut’s statements and demolition of bungalow. “The governor expressed displeasure over the inept handling of the Ranaut episode. Her office was demolished a day after she issued statements against the state government. Mehta was asked to convey Koshyari’s sentiments to Thackeray,” a senior official said.

Koshyari and Thackeray have been at loggerheads ever since the former took over the gubernatorial assignment in 2019. First there was the prolonged row over Thackeray’s nomination on the legislative council as a governor nominee—he was ultimately elected after PM Modi intervened—followed by the issue over conducting final-year exams. The latest flashpoint is the 12 nominations for legislative council seats.

Bhavika Jain & Priyanka Kakodkar | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 9, 2020)

Mumbai: Trouble mounted for actor Kangana Ranaut as state home minister Anil Deshmukh said on Tuesday that the Mumbai police would probe allegations that she took drugs. Talking to reporters outside Vidhan Bhavan, Deshmukh said actor Adhyayan Suman, who was in a relationship with Ranaut earlier, had in an interview in 2016 claimed she consumed drugs and even forced him to take it.

In response to Deshmukh’s investigation order, Ranaut later tweeted, “I am more than happy to oblige @MumbaiPolice @AnilDeshmukh-NCP please do my drug tests investigate my call records if you find any links to drug peddlers ever I will accept my mistake and leave Mumbai forever, looking forward to meet you.”

Shiv Sena MLAs Pratap Sarnaik and Sunil Prabhu had raised the issue with Deshmukh. “They have submitted that in an interview in 2016, Suman had alleged that Ranaut consumed drugs and forced him to take the substance too. Mumbai police will look into the matter,” he said.

Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap, who moved a breach of privilege motion in the state council against Ranaut for comparing Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, also referred to the same interview. Jagtap said he was willing to provide proof about the interview. “Her comments on Mumbai show she is a traitor to the city and state. It is a betrayal of the martyrs of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement who fought to keep Mumbai in Maharashtra,” he said.

Ranaut had recently said that she feared the Mumbai police more than the ‘movie mafia’, and would prefer security either from Himachal Pradesh or the Centre. She was provided Y-plus security by the Centre on Monday.

Deshmukh said that the irresponsible statements made by Ranaut discredit the city where she got name and fame. “No one can tolerate such insult of the state and the city. She has insulted the same Mumbai police that caught Kasab [26/11 terror attack accused], and had officials like Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Vijay Kamte who died on the line of duty. We should all condemn her for such statements,” he said.

Condemning Ranaut’s remarks about the Mumbai police, leader of the opposition Devendra Fadnavis said that he knew the capability of the force since he had served as chief minister for five years. “But, the police can come under political pressure,” he added.

Seeking to dismiss allegations raised by the Shiv Sena-led MVA government that the BJP's demand for a CBI probe had demoralised Mumbai police, Fadnavis said many legislators had passed adverse remarks against the police at different points of time. “Even chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, during a rally in Kalyan, had said the police were capable of only washing utensils,” said Fadnavis.

Meanwhile, Union minister Ramdas Athawale, an ally of the BJP, said workers of his party RPI (A) will provide protection to Ranaut when she returns to Mumbai. “…she is scheduled to reach Mumbai on Wednesday. Our party workers will offer protection to her at the airport as well as at her residence,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)

Kangana gets Y-plus 24x7 CRPF security, MVA slams Centre
Bharti Jain (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 8, 2020)

New Delhi: The Centre has sanctioned ‘Y+’ security cover, to be provided by CRPF, to actor Kangana Ranaut. The decision to grant her protection was based on a review of threat perception, home ministry sources said on Monday.

The ‘Y-plus’ protection for Ranaut—at par with that extended to Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and former deputy CM of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot—comes against the backdrop of statements made by politicians belonging to the ruling camp in Maharashtra, in response to her questioning Mumbai police’s handling of the probe into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.

The news drew strong reactions from members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi regime, one of whom called her a “BJP parrot”. State home minister Anil Deshmukh of NCP said, “It is surprising and sad that those who insult Mumbai and Maharashtra are being given security by the Centre… if anyone insults Maharashtra, people of all parties should condemn it.”
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The actor in her recent tweet compared Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
Makarand Gadgil (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 5, 2020)

The BJP on Friday had to distance itself from Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut’s controversial tweet in which she compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The leaders of the ruling alliance in the state lashed out at her, with senior NCP leader and state home minister Anil Deshmukh saying that those who feel unsafe in the city have no right to live here. The senior BJP leader and Bandra West MLA Ashish Shelar had to issue a statement criticizing Ranaut after the controversy over her tweets deepened. Shelar in his statement said, “BJP doesn’t agree with Ranaut’s statement, she should not give lessons to Mumbaikars on how to behave.” No one should make comments on Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide case which will create a law and order situation, he added.

Earlier in the day, Ranaut tweeted that she is returning to Mumbai on September 9, and dared anyone wanting to stop her from entering the city. For the last few days, a war of words has been going on between Ranaut and Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP and executive editor of party’s mouthpiece Saamana. Ranaut a few days back tweeted that Mumbai is no longer safe and raised questions over the integrity of Mumbai Police. Subsequently, Raut hit back by saying that, there is no need for the actor to come back to Mumbai.

However, Ranaut’s tweet about coming to Mumbai received a sharp response from constituents of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi. Shiv Sena MLA from Thane Pratap Sarnaik announced that the party’s women wing activists will not allow Ranaut to step out of the airport when she returns on September 9.

Commenting on the Ranaut episode, home minister Deshmukh said, “Ranaut has no right to live in Mumbai if she feels insecure in the city and threatened by Mumbai Police.” He even hinted at taking action against Ranaut for defaming Mumbai Police but didn’t elaborate. “If people who have nothing to do with the city malign it and its police, the state government and the home minister...should take action, or else the morale of the police will take a beating,” Raut told reporters on Friday, alleging a conspiracy behind the campaign against Mumbai Police.

State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant accused Ranaut of being hand in glove with the BJP to malign the Sena-NCP-Congress government and the Mumbai Police.

Prafulla Marpakwar, Swati Deshpande & Madan Kumar | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 5, 2020)

Mumbai/Patna: With Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar pushing for a CBI probe into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the state’s home department made a formal request to the Centre on Tuesday seeking an investigation into the FIR lodged by the late actor’s father K K Singh at Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna.

The CM told mediapersons, “Everybody has been demanding a CBI probe in the actor’s case. The matter was also raised in the Bihar assembly on Monday and some MLAs demanded a CBI probe. After seeing the lack of cooperation from Mumbai police in investigation by Patna police, I am also of the view that CBI should conduct an inquiry in the case.” Nitish had criticised the “forced quarantining” of a Bihar IPS officer in Mumbai, hours after he landed in the city to pursue a probe into the Sushant case.

Bihar’s move evoked strong reactions from lawyer Satish Maneshinde who is the lawyer for Rhea Chakraborty, Sushant’s girl friend and an accused in the abetment to suicide case registered by Patna police. “There cannot be transfer of a case to CBI as the case has no legal basis for Bihar to get involved,’’ he said. “At best it would be a 'Zero FIR' in Patna and transferable to Mumbai Police.’’

Bihar’s demand for a CBI probe came a day before a hearing in Supreme Court on Rhea Chakraborty’s plea, seeking transfer of the case to Mumbai where a probe is already on. “One case is pending before the Supreme Court, while a public interest litigation has been filed before Bombay High Court. I am told both cases are coming up for admission/hearing on Wednesday. Under such circumstances, it will be appropriate to wait for the outcome,’’ said Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh.

Regarding the plea for transferring the case to CBI, senior crime counsel Amit Desai said, “The law is clear that every matter of death doesn’t require a CBI investigation, the guidelines of when a CBI must investigate are fairly well settled and include inter-state cases, complex cases, and where large public interest involved.”

He added, “Section 174 CrPC enquiry does empower the police in an enquiry into the death to look into all aspects including that of abetment to the suicide, which the Mumbai police are doing as it is the place of offence.’’

Former Bombay high court judge Justice V M Kanade said, “In the present case, the situation is peculiar in the sense that the Mumbai police is entitled to probe into the cause of death under section 174 of CrPC which it is doing. At this stage, the recommendation or consent for transfer for CBI appears to be premature since no report has been given so far by the Mumbai police on its inquiry.’ However, senior counsel Niteen Pradhan said a CBI probe may be justified as it would be prudent to task one agency with the investigation. “Also the Mumbai police has shown inordinate delay in concluding its probe into its cause of death,” he said.
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Two PILs filed in SC for CBI probe

Two public interest litigations (PILs) have been filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. While one PIL has been filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ajay Agrawal, the other has been filed by a Mumbai-based law student, Dwivendra Devtadeen Dubey.

The PIL by Agrawal, who has been pursuing the politically sensitive Bofors scam case in apex court, seeks direction to CBI to take up investigation into Rajput’s death. The law student has sought the transfer of the FIR, lodged by the actor’s father KK Singh in Patna, either to the CBI or the NIA.

Significantly, a bench headed by Chief Justice S Bobde had, on July 30, junked a similar PIL seeking transfer of probe from Mumbai police to the CBI. PTI
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Grant Thornton is forensic auditor

Mumbai: City police on Tuesday appointed Grant Thornton — a network of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms — as the forensic auditor to examine Sushant Singh Rajput’s bank accounts for misappropriation of funds or fraudulent transactions. The auditor will go through Sushant’s banking transactions during his entire acting career starting with the TV serial ‘Pavitra Rishta’ in 2009. TNN

THE TIMES OF INDIA (August 3, 2020)

Mumbai/Delhi/Patna: Days after a Bihar police team reached Mumbai to probe the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case, a turf battle has broken out between law enforcement officers from the two regions, with even ministers weighing in to control the investigation. Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said the Bihar team had exceeded their brief: the law requires an offence to be probed by police and courts within whose jurisdiction it has been committed.

With the Bihar cops’ attempt to access documents linked to the alleged suicide of Sushant’s manager Disha Salian (28) stonewalled, the Bihar government sent Patna city SP Vinay Tiwary to Mumbai to “remove obstacles”. However, the IPS officer was reportedly forced into quarantine. Patna IG Sanjay Singh confirmed to TOI that Tiwary had been stamped with a mandatory quarantine by BMC. He said they will look into the matter on Monday.
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Vallabh Ozarkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 3, 2020)

The team of Patna police, which is in Mumbai to probe the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, visited Malwani police station on Sunday seeking documents relating to the death of his former manager, Disha Salian. She died on June 8, six days before the actor allegedly died by suicide at his rented apartment. They returned empty-handed.

According to sources, Patna police wanted to check if the two cases are linked. The Mumbai police had concluded they weren’t. Disha’s parents reportedly told them they had no complaints. According to a source, she was upset by a few professional setbacks which could have triggered her suicide.

“We have conducted a proper investigation into Salian’s death and did not find any connection between the two deaths. The investigation documents are on record with us,” said a Mumbai police officer. Patna police want to meet her parents to verify any missing links, but are unable to contact them.

They claim they have also not received documents like the autopsy report, forensic lab report, inquest report and CCTV footage related to the case. In the past week, Patna police has recorded statements of several people, including directors Mukesh Chhabra and Rumy Jafry, Sushant’s sister Mitu Singh, Kushal Jhaveri, who’s said to be a friend of the late actor, his doctor, and cook. They’re trying to get in touch with Sushant’s roommate, Siddharth Pithani, who had claimed through an email to Mumbai police that he’s being ‘pressurised’ to give a statement against his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty in connection with the Rs 15 crore that has allegedly gone missing.

Case has been registered at Rajiv Nagar Police Station in Patna against Rhea, her three family members and two others, under Section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 380 (theft in dwelling house), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 306 (abetment of suicide) based on a complaint by Sushant’s father, KK Singh. Singh claimed in the FIR that there was Rs 17 crore in his account from which Rs 15 crore was transferred to unknown accounts. Following this, the Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case. The Mumbai police has refuted this as also the actor’s CA based on bank statements.

Meanwhile, Vinay Tiwari, superintendent of Patna police, arrived in the city to lead the investigation and ensure better coordination between the two forces. He said the Mumbai police is cooperating with them. 

Vallabh Ozarkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 30, 2020)

On Wednesday, a Bihar police team of seven arrived in Mumbai in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput case. They visited a branch of the bank where he had an account, following allegations by his father Krishna Kishore Singh in his FIR that Rs 15 crore has gone missing, wanting a statement of proof.

They visited Rhea Chakraborty but the actress was not home. They want to probe the three companies Sushant had started, two with Rhea and her brother as directors.

One of the officers said that Mumbai police is cooperating with them and the two teams are working together amicably while investigating the case independently. “All concerned people will be spoken to,” they asserted, spending two hours with the actor’s sister, Mitu Singh, at her apartment to understand the sequence of events, then visiting Sushant’s flat to record the statements of all those related to the case.
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Bihar police say they will decide on the course of inquiry after investigating 'certain basic facts', as Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer asks for the case to be transferred to Mumbai
Mohar Basu, Uma Ramasubramanian, Dharmendra Jore (MID-DAY; July 30, 2020)

After the late Sushant Singh Rajput's father Krishna Kishor Singh filed an FIR against actor Rhea Chakraborty and her family on Tuesday, it was widely reported last afternoon that the actor was absconding. However, the turn of events was dismissed by Vinay Tiwari, Central Patna SP. Rajput's family had registered a complaint against Chakraborty in Patna, alleging financial irregularities, following which an FIR was filed.

Talking to mid-day, Tiwari stated, "Aisa kuch nahin hai. At this point, we are not even trying to trace Miss Chakraborty. Preliminary enquiry is underway. There are certain basic facts that are being investigated, following which we will decide on the course of action. As, when and if she is required, we will get in touch with her." Tiwari added that the investigation being carried out by the Bihar police was independent of that conducted by the Mumbai police.

In an FIR filed at the Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna, Singh alleged that Rhea had transferred Rs 15 crore from the actor's account and instigated him to commit suicide. Rhea and her family — including Indrajit, Sandhya and Shovik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda and Shruti Modi — have been booked under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 306 (abetment of suicide), among others.

On Wednesday, Rhea moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the Patna FIR to Mumbai. The actor's lawyer Satish Maneshinde confirmed the development, saying, "We will navigate this case step by step. [We have appealed that] the Bihar case be transferred to Mumbai. Once the Supreme Court gives its decision, we will see how to navigate further."

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said that the case will continue to be investigated by the Mumbai police and won't be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), despite sustained public pressure. Parth Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, and actor Shekhar Suman have been among those demanding a CBI inquiry. The minister also met senior police officials yesterday to review the progress in the case, which is also being probed by the Bihar police.

From Bengaluru To B-Town
Bengaluru-born Chakraborty started her career as a VJ for Channel V and MTV. She forayed into Bollywood in 2013 with the Y Films' production, Mere Dad Ki Maruti. It is believed that Chakraborty met Rajput then as both were Yash Raj Films' talent. She has since starred in Sonali Cable, Dobaara, Bank Chor and Mohit Suri-directed Half Girlfriend.

BOMBAY TIMES (July 27, 2020)

The latest Bollywood celebrities to be summoned by Mumbai Police in the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case are actress Kangana Ranaut and Apoorva Mehta, CEO of Dharma Productions (Karan Johar’s production house). Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt will be summoned, too. This was announced by Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Sunday afternoon.

“Mahesh Bhatt’s statement will be taken. Kangana Ranaut has also been summoned. Whoever is needed, we will summon,” Deshmukh told the media. On being asked if Johar himself would be summoned, the minister replied, “Karan Johar’s manager has been summoned, and if needed we will summon Karan Johar as well.” News reports later verified it was Mehta, CEO of Johar’s production house, who had been summoned recently. The statement of Johar’s manager, Reshma Shetty, has been recorded earlier.

Home Minister Anil Deshmukh says the Mumbai police are more than equipped to handle the probe into the actor's death last month
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; July 17, 2020)

The demand for a Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) probe in connection with the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has been growing stronger by the day as a social media campaign for it has also been launched. After BJP MP Subramanian Swamy's demand for a CBI probe, the actor's alleged friend Rhea Chakraborty has also requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah for it. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, however, told mid-day that there was no need for a CBI probe and that the Mumbai Police is competent enough to handle such cases.

Chakraborty, who recorded her statement with the Bandra Police on Monday, tweeted "Respected @AmitShah sir, I'm Sushant Singh Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. It has been over a month since his sudden demise. I have complete faith in the government. However, in the interest of justice, I request you with folded hands to initiate a CBI inquiry into this matter. I only want to understand what pressures prompted Sushant to take this step. Yours sincerely #satyamevajayat."

Deshmukh, however, said, "I have the tweets and the campaign. But I don't think that a CBI probe is required. The Mumbai Police is competent enough to handle such cases and they are investigating every aspect of the case including professional rivalry. As of now, we do not see any foul play. Details of the investigation will be shared once it is completed."

Fit For CBI Probe Or Not?
Actor Rajput allegedly committed suicide on June 14 and the Mumbai police did not find anything suspicious prima facie. His post-mortem analysis report also confirmed death by hanging. However, there has been a consistent social media campaign alleging the actor was murdered. Former member of parliament from Bihar Pappu Yadav was the first to demand a CBI probe and has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who in response said that the request had been forwarded to the department concerned.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy also tweeted saying, "I have asked Ishkaran (advocate) to look into the facts of Sushant Singh Rajput death case and see whether it's a fit case for CBI investigation." He said that advocate Ishkaran Bhandari is considering sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and/or 308 (culpable homicide) of the India Penal Code read with Article 21 of the Constitution is applicable.

According to Mumbai police, a month-long investigation into the matter hasn't brought to fore any foul play or abetment. "We are now waiting for the forensic report to get more clarity. Our investigation continues to look into the professional rivalry angle," an officer said.

Earlier, Chakraborty, who was blamed by some people for Rajput's death, had posted a screengrab of her Instagram account where she said, "l was called a gold digger. I kept quiet. I was called a murderer, kept quiet. I was slut-shamed. I kept quiet. But how does my silence give you the right to tell me that you will get me RAPED and MURDERED if I don't commit suicide @mannu_raaut? Do you realise the seriousness of what you have said? These are crimes, and by law no one, I repeat NO ONE, should be subjected to this kind of toxicity and harassment. I request @cyber_crime_helpline @cybercrimeindia to please take necessary action. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH."

'Chakraborty Has Not Complained'
Officials of Mumbai Cyber branch told mid-day that they had not received any written complaint from the actress. They have taken cognizance of her post and will investigate, they said.

The Bandra Police on Thursday also recorded the statement of a senior pyschiatrist from Hinduja Hospital who was treating Sushant Singh Rajput. So far 35 statements have been recorded.

HINDUSTAN TIMES (June 18, 2020)

A criminal case has been filed against directors Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, actor Salman Khan and producer Ekta Kapoor, among others, for their alleged involvement in late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise.

The case has been filed by advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide), 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence) 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), reports ANI.

“In the complaint, I’ve alleged Sushant was removed from around seven films and some of his films were not released. Such a situation forced him to take the extreme step,” said Ojha.

The allegations didn’t go down well with Kapoor, who took to Instagram to say she was “beyond upset”. “Thanku for the case for not casting sushi....when Actually I LAUNCHED HIM...” she wrote.

Earlier, Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh had said Mumbai Police would probe a ‘professional rivalry’ angle to Rajput’s death.

V Narayan & Sumitra Deb Roy | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; June 16, 2020)

Mumbai: The final rites of 34-year-old actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead in his Bandra flat, were performed on Monday.

Police have recorded statements of six people so far, including one of his sisters who lives in Goregaon, his actor friends Mahesh Shetty and Rhea Chakraborty, his managers and cook. It was the cook who called the police control room after he and two of Rajput’s managers found him dead on breaking the locked door to his room with the help of a locksmith.

DCP (Zone IX) Abhishek Trimukhe said Bandra police have got the provisional postmortem report. “A team of three doctors (at R N Cooper Hospital) conducted Rajput’s autopsy and the provisional cause of death is asphyxia due to hanging,” he said. No suicide note was found.

Home minister Anil Deshmukh tweeted: “While the post mortem report says actor @itsSSR committed suicide by hanging himself, there are media reports that he allegedly suffered from clinical depression because of professional rivalry. @MumbaiPolice will probe this angle too.”

A Bandra police officer told TOI they do not suspect a financial trigger. “Rajput’s sister too said he had no financial problems but he was under treatment for depression for the past six months. His friend Shetty said the actor had called him early on Sunday but he did not pick up. He said if he had, the situation might have been different.”

One of the doctors who did his post-mortem said, “It’s a clear case of suicide by hanging. There were no other injuries.” The post-mortem was carried out by Dr Sachin Sonawane, Dr Shivkumar Kolle and Dr Sandeep Ingale.

A four-member team of experts from Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory visited his flat. “The team gathered evidence to conclude whether it was a homicidal or suicidal hanging. It’s part of the standard protocol,” said an officer. His phone has been sent to the lab for call details too.

Doctors have sent his viscera to JJ Hospital for histopathology and another set of samples to Kalina lab for routine chemical analysis for intoxication and poisoning. Reports are expected in a week. Cops are also probing who leaked photos of Rajput’s body.

V Narayan, Sumitra Deb Roy & Nitasha Natu | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; June 16, 2020)

Mumbai: Deceased actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s father K K Singh flew in from Patna and performed his last rites along with two of his four sisters at a Vile Parle crematorium on Monday. Actors Kriti Sanon, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma and actor-friend Rhea Chakraborty were also present.

Police said an accidental death report was filed at Bandra police station and the provisional cause of death is asphyxia due to hanging. They said they had not found any indications of foul play. However, home minister Anil Deshmukh said they would also probe if professional rivalry drove Sushant to suicide.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; May 12, 2020)

As a gesture of respect and gratitude towards the police force for the endless hours of work that they have put in during the Coronavirus lockdown, several actors, sports stars and prominent personalities from various walks of life replaced their social media display pictures (DP) with the logo of the Maharashtra Police. It was an initiative by Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

Besides changing their DP, many actors, including Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh and Varun Dhawan, have been tweeting words of praise for the police force. Nimrat Kaur says, “The police officers are risking everything when they step out to do their duty. For the safety of their loved ones, they’re often unable to go home. This was just a small gesture to show our love and gratitude.”

Talking about their selfless service, Tisca Chopra says, “Tough times are a test of character and what has been shown by the Maharashtra Police, the BMC and healthcare workers, is true grit. We won’t forget the courage they have shown.” Rohit Roy adds, “Our police personnel are putting their lives on the line to protect us. The least we can do is appreciate them and let them know that we are grateful.”