Parag Tyagi, carries the bier out from their Oshiwara residence. Pic/PTI

Mumbai/New Delhi: Shefali Jariwala, whose sizzling gyration and rebellious abandon in the music video of the remixed track ‘Kaanta Laga' (original song from ‘Samadhi', 1972) became a dance floor favourite, annoyed social conservatives and helped sell over a million cassettes, CDs and albums, passed away following a cardiac arrest on Friday night. She was 42.

Jariwala was rushed to a private hospital close to her Andheri West residence by husband-actor Parag Tyagi, but was declared dead on arrival. "Her family told doctors she was unwell with acidity and had not eaten the entire day," a senior police officer told TOI.

As per legal procedure, the hospital alerted the Amboli police (because the patient had not been admitted before her death), and an accidental death report (ADR) under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was filed.

Jariwala's body was taken to the post-mortem centre at Juhu's Cooper Hospital at around 1 am on Saturday. A mobile forensic team also visited her home late Friday to collect samples for toxicological analysis. Jariwala's viscera samples have been preserved for forensic analysis. Results of the post-mortem report and the chemical analysis are expected by Sunday and are likely to provide better clarity on what exactly caused the cardiac arrest.

The police officer, who spoke with the doctors, told TOI that Jariwala was taking medications for skin whitening, hormonal tablets as well as vitamins with reportedly anti-ageing properties. "Jariwala was reportedly in the habit of taking 8–9 different vitamin supplements daily," the officer said.

The Amboli police confirmed that they have recorded statements from Shefali Jariwala's husband, her parents, domestic help and her cook as part of routine inquiry in an ADR case.

Jariwala's death ended a career which had peaked following the super success of the ‘Kaanta Laga' music video in 2003. The song accelerated the short-lived trend of sensuous music videos, many recreated from 1970s R D Burman classics, that flooded music television channels in early years of the new millennium. ‘Kaanta Laga' was part of the best-selling remix album, DJ Doll.

‘Kaanta Laga' was reprised in the Salman-Priyanka-Akshay starrer, ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karoge' (2004) underlining the music video's eyeball-grabbing power. In the film, Shefali boogeyed with Akshay Kumar.

In a telephone interview in 2003, Shefali had said that acting in the video was a turning point in her life. "I have been recognized even in Middle East countries," she said. She was an engineering student then.

Her progression, thereafter, was modest. Jariwala performed in the dance show, ‘Nach Baliye', in ‘Bigg Boss 13', and, more recently, in the supernatural horror, ‘Shaitani Rasmein' (2024), where she played a powerful female spirit, Kapalika. Incidentally, another participant of ‘Bigg Boss 13', actor Sidharth Shukla, had died of a heart attack in 2021.

Jariwala had a sizeable 3.4 million followers on Instagram. Last week, she had posted a reel while getting ready for a shoot to the words of athlete-turned-influencer J B Copeland, "It's time for us to start living life, like everything else is working out in our favour."

Jariwala's sudden death was widely mourned on social media. Among those who posted tributes were singer Mika Singh, actors Kiku Sharda, Kamya Punjabi and All Indian Cine Workers Association.

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Mere hours after actor Shefali Jariwala — of the Kaanta Laga fame — and her husband Parag Tyagi organized a Satyanarayan pooja at their Oshiwara home on Friday, the city was shocked to hear of her death later that night. At the pooja, which was attended by all their family members, the actor was seen not to have any health issues, sources said.

On Saturday, while talking to the police, the family did not raise any suspicions of foul play, the sources said. Jariwala, who rose to fame after her appearance in the popular Kaanta Laga music video, was also a participant in the reality TV show Bigg Boss (season 13). Initial reports stated that she died of cardiac arrest.  Preliminary statements of her husband recorded by the police hinted that she had been undergoing anti-ageing treatment for a while and was on medication. The statement was attached to the other papers, including the police panchnama, sent to the autopsy centre with the body.

Jariwala, who resided in the Golden Rays Building in Andheri West, was taken to Bellevue Multi-speciality Hospital in Andheri late on Friday. She was then referred to Cooper Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival. The hospital promptly informed the Amboli Police about her demise.

On Saturday afternoon, a five-member team of forensic surgeons and a forensic pathologist from the RN Cooper Postmortem Centre and HBT Medical College conducted a two-hour-long autopsy on the mortal remains of model-turned-actor Shefali Jariwala.

“We have preserved the viscera samples for forensic analysis to determine the exact cause of death. A preliminary report has been issued mentioning ‘opinion reserved’,” said a hospital source. “The viscera sample will be sent to the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory [FSL], Kalina, for microscopic analysis, and to rule out any drug reactions, apart from other findings. Only after receiving the FSL report will the Cooper forensic team issue a final cause of death,” a source stated.

When asked whether any injury marks were found on the body, the source responded in the negative. 

Police sources told this paper that considering the fallout of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death in 2020, they are following all procedures to prevent any controversy.

Given the high-profile nature of the case, the Amboli Police arranged for videography and still photography of the entire autopsy. A mobile forensic analysis team also visited the actor’s residence on Friday night to search for any potential forensic evidence.  As of now, the Amboli Police have registered an accidental death report (ADR) under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

The actor’s last rites on Saturday evening were attended by her colleagues and Bigg Boss co-participants. A family friend told Sunday mid-day, “It [Her demise] was very shocking news. She was just 42; people are not supposed to die so young. It’s so unfair.”

Sidharth Shukla’s last rites took place at a crematorium in Mumbai yesterday afternoon. His mortal remains were taken from Cooper Hospital to the crematorium yesterday afternoon for the last rites. Asim Riaz, Arjun Bijlani, Rashami Desai, Arti Singh and Rakhi Sawant were among those who bid the actor a tearful farewell. Aly Goni, who was seen visiting Sidharth’s family with girlfriend Jasmin Bhasin on Thursday evening soon after they returned from Ladakh, was among those seen at his residence yesterday morning. Nikki Tamboli was accompanied by Vikas Gupta, while Prince Narula came with his wife Yuvika Chaudhary.

The actor’s autopsy was completed on Thursday night and according to reports, “no external or internal injuries were found”. The viscera report, which determines the cause of death when autopsies are unconvincing, is still on hold. The doctors have reserved their opinion on the post-mortem, as per reports.

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Some unverified reports have quoted Shehnaaz Gill’s father Santokh Singh Sukh as saying that she is inconsolable and that she told him Sidharth “died in my arms”. However neither Shehnaaz nor the family have confirmed the same.

Industry friends posted messages on social media, urging Shehnaaz to stay strong. Aly wrote “Chehra jo hamesha haste hue dekha.. khush dekha… lekin aaj jaisa dekha bass dil toot gaya stay strong sana,” while Jaan Kumar Sanu said, “Aaj jo dekha, yakeen karne mein waqt lagega. Stay strong Shehnaaz.” Rahul Mahajan, who visited Sidharth’s residence to pay his last respects, was quoted as saying that Shehnaaz has gone “completely pale as if a storm had just passed by and washed away everything.”

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Initial reports stated that Sidharth told his mother that he was feeling uneasy at around 3 am on Thursday, as per a source close to the family. “His mother gave him some water and he went back to sleep. However, in the morning Sidharth did not get up. His mother tried to wake him up, but he did not respond. His mother called his sister, who called the doctor, who declared him dead and asked them to take the body to the hospital immediately,” said the source.

THE TIMES OF INDIA (September 17, 2020)

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission on Wednesday disposed of a suo motu inquiry and concluded that no case was made for its intervention into Rhea Chakraborty’s visit to Cooper Hospital when actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s body was kept in the morgue.

Acting chairperson of the state human rights commission M A Sayeed said breach of rules or protocols was found either by the hospital management or Mumbai Police.

In August, the commission had taken up suo motu action based on a television news report that Rhea was given permission to enter the postmortem room to pay her last respects to Rajput, her boyfriend.

Rajput actor was found dead in his Bandra flat on June 14. After the postmortem examination at Cooper Hospital, his body was kept in the morgue. It was handed over to his kin the next day.

In its submission to the state human rights commission, the hospital management said that as per rules, no one, except a doctor, a photographer and a medical attendant, is allowed entry in the room where post-mortem examination is being conducted and hence, there was no question of Rhea or any other person entering the room. The hospital added that at best, Rhea would have been in a waiting room.

Meanwhile, Rhea and her brother Showik, who are in judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected last week, are expected to move the Bombay high court for bail. Their lawyer Satish Maneshinde said that he would study the rejection orders and then decide on the next course of action.

The Chakraborty siblings, along with 18 others, have been arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in the drugs case linked to Rajput’s death.

Actor goes to cops again over ‘aggressive media’ behaviour
Vijay V Singh (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 1, 2020)

Mumbai: CBI questioned actor Rhea Chakraborty for the fourth consecutive day on Monday along with her brother Showik and others in the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s alleged suicide. The CBI also questioned the late actor’s business manager Shruti Modi for the first time.

In another major development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing a money laundering angle in the Rajput case, questioned businessman Kunal Jani. Jani runs Bastian Hospitality in which Ranjit Singh Bindra (an accused in the Iqbal Mirchi money laundering case) and Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra, were partners. The ED also questioned Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya. Sources said during their questioning, Jani and Arya denied any “suspicious transaction” with Rhea.

It was reported that CBI would be recording the statement of Rajput’s sister Mitu Singh, but the central agency refused to confirm it. Rhea had earlier in an interview to a TV channel said she had left Rajput’s house on June 8 as Mitu was coming to stay with him. Rhea had said since Mitu stayed with him in the days preceding his death on June 14, she could throw more light on his mental state then.

The advocates of Rhea and Shruti told the media separately that Rajput’s family was aware of his mental condition and drug use.

The Rajput family has alleged Rhea used to control the actor along with her brother, their parents, Shruti and house manager Samuel Miranda. They are all accused in the case. The CBI has also questioned Rajput’s staffers —Neeraj Singh, Deepesh Sawant and Keshav Bachner —as well as his friend Siddharth Pithani. All four were present in the Bandra apartment when the actor was found dead.

Shruti’s advocate Ashok Saraogi has said she was just an employee and she later quit. Sarogi said, “Sushant’s father once called and asked Shruti to connect him with his son. But Sushant instructed Shruti not to entertain his father’s call. In another instance, one of Sushant’s sisters had called asking about his bank account.”

The BMC, meanwhile, has told the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission that it had not given permission for Rhea’s purported “visit” to the morgue where Rajput’s body was kept.
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Actor’s former staff members Samuel Miranda and Shruti Modi were among those questioned at the CBI’s camp office at DRDO Guesthouse
Abhishek Sharan (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 1, 2020)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday again questioned actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, and five others in connection with actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.

The agency is investigating whether there was any foul play or abetment leading to the actor’s death. The probe is examining whether the late actor was unwell since the first week of June and had sought the advice, personally or via people close to him, of doctors.

It was the fourth consecutive day the agency had grilled Chakraborty and others. Apart from Chakraborty and her brother, Rajput’s former house manager Samuel Miranda and former manager Shruti Modi were questioned at the CBI’s camp office at DRDO Guesthouse, Santacruz (East), over Rajput’s father’s allegations that there was a conspiracy to control the life and finances of the late actor. According to the allegations, as part of attempts to control his life and create a distance between Rajput and his family, the actor was given a phone with a separate SIM card.

According to sources, the agency has learned that as he was not keeping well, Rajput and those close to him had consulted doctors. One of the doctors had allegedly asked him as to why he had stopped taking medicines prescribed to him. The agency is looking into claims that early in June, Rajput was keeping unwell and had curtailed his interactions with his flatmates.

The CBI is looking into whether Rajput went to Chandigarh to meet his sister’s family in January but fell sick on the way and thereafter returned to Mumbai after a few days. The agency is examining whether during the Chandigarh trip, the Rajput family had been apprised about his treatment, the sources said.

Chakraborty was again asked about Rajput’s family’s allegations, including whether she and Rajput had differences over his decision to shift to Coorg in Karnataka to do organic farming, which led to her departure from his flat on June 8, and whether she subsequently blocked his phone number.

This was one of the allegations of Rajput’s father, K K Singh, as per the July 25 FIR registered by Patna police. Chakraborty was also asked if she had told the Rajput family about the fact that he was under treatment for mental-health related issues, the sources said.

Chakraborty and others have denied any wrongdoing, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the ED on Monday questioned a Goa-based hotelier, Gaurav Arya, over a communication with Rhea Chakraborty allegedly linked to narcotic substances. Arya denied all allegations.
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Cooper denies giving Rhea access to mortuary

Yogesh Naik (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 1, 2020)

The management of Cooper Hospital has denied giving Rhea Chakraborty access to the room where Sushant Singh Rajput’s post-mortem was done. The state Human Rights Commission had issued a suo motu notice to the hospital management and Mumbai police after video clips of Chakraborty getting access to the post-mortem room/mortuary emerged.

A senior officer of the commission said: “We were going through clips of Rhea Chakraborty visiting the mortuary of Cooper. We asked the registrar of the legal wing to check the provisions. They should not have been given permission to visit the mortuary. We don’t how and under what circumstances permission was given. I have issued a showcause notice to the dean to explain how and under what rules permission was given to the lady and her family members.” Chakraborty visited the mortuary a day after Rajput’s death, on June 14. The actor was photographed leaving the morgue along with two/three people. Cooper Hospital Dean Dr Pinakin Gujjar refused to comment

Dr Shailesh Mohite, who was part of the Sheena Bora probe, speaks to us on the intricacies of autopsies, and the need to let forensic science guide the SSR investigation
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 28, 2020)

In his long career in forensic medicine, Dr Shailesh Mohite has been part of some sensational cases, including the Sheena Bora murder and the autopsy of terrorist Abu Ismail. We reached out to Dr Mohite — Professor and the Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Nair Hospital, Mumbai — to demystify the autopsy process and shed some light on the controversy surrounding Sushant Singh Rajput’s autopsy. Excerpts from our conversation:

How important is an autopsy report in a case like that of Sushant Singh Rajput?
According to our Indian judicial system, an autopsy is of utmost importance. It tells us various things — from identification, to the cause, manner of death, the evidence that needs to be preserved, time since death — all queries are answered at the end of the autopsy. So, it forms a crucial part of evidence.

What factors do medical professionals keep in mind while carrying out an autopsy and drawing conclusions?
There are a lot of individual variations that could occur depending on the circumstances. So, while conducting the autopsy, noting down findings or interpreting the findings, we need to keep a lot of things in mind. For instance — the sex of the person, the build, age, the environment in which the body was found, whether it’s summer or winter, temperature, was the body wearing clothes or not, was it found in water or on dry ground and so on.

Can the same autopsy report be interpreted differently by two medical professionals?
Yes, there could be slight differences of opinion. While giving an opinion, one should always say that the opinions are based on the above mentioned observations. So, if it goes to another expert, he or she knows the points that have been taken into account while coming to those conclusions. In case they have anything to add, they can always mention the facts taken into consideration apart from the ones stated by the previous doctor. Documents like the ADR (accidental death report), the panchnama, and statements of relatives also have to be taken into account and noted in the final report so that there is no ambiguity.

Dr Sudhir Gupta from AIIMS is said to have found discrepancies in Sushant’s autopsy report. It’s also in the news that the time of death was not mentioned in the report. What does this essentially mean?
It’s difficult for me to speak on Dr Sudhir’s comment about contradictions, since he has not listed those out, though I am sure he has considered all the documents. As for the time, I can show you copies of post-mortem reports. There is no specific column for time since death. But it states the deductions of the medical officer about the time since death from the stomach contents. Time since death is derived through various factors like rigor mortis, postmortem lividity, coldness or warmth of the body, decomposition changes if any. The post mortem report also mentions the stomach contents. The circumstantial evidence provided by the police are taken into consideration before arriving at an idea of the time since death. If anyone claims that time since death is not mentioned, it is like saying that I have maintained a book of accounts, mentioning the expenses but have not totalled it at the end. But from the individual entries, I can, at any given time, deduce it.

Following Sushant’s death, a few pictures were leaked and circulated. What are the things that one needs to look at as circumstantial evidence?
One needs to be very sure that these are authentic photos, not morphed ones, before commenting. I would suggest that experts, before commenting, see to it that those are authenticated by the investigating officer who will put his signature and forward it. Only those can be taken as authentic and can be permitted in court as evidence.

Some reports had questioned the need to conduct Sushant’s autopsy at night. In a situation like this, how long would it have taken the doctors to inspect his body, and is there a provision to conduct an autopsy at night?
In Mumbai, there is a specific circular from the Government of Maharashtra which states that post mortem should be done in 24 hours, except for cases of negligence and cases of murder/ homicide where the police officer has mentioned it in the papers.

Many reports have questioned the need to take his body to Dr. RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital when another ambulance from a hospital closer to his residence was present. What are the parameters of choosing a hospital?
There is no choice here. By government orders, the 90-plus police stations in the city have been divided — police stations are attached to the post-mortem centres, and we have about 10 of them: St George, GT, JJ Hospital, Nair, KEM, Sion, Rajawadi, Cooper Hospital, Siddharth Hospital and Bhagwati. For example, five police stations are attached to Nair Hospital and bodies from their jurisdictions will be brought here.

You are suggesting that taking Sushant’s body to Cooper Hospital was essentially a procedural decision?
Yes. Bandra police station has Cooper Hospital assigned to them.

Leaked pictures of Sushant’s body led to an outcry on social media. The ligature marks and other signs on his body have been questioned by people, some of whom are medical practitioners and criminal lawyers. By looking at a picture and a ligature mark on one’s neck, can you clearly tell how the death occurred?
As I said, no one should opine without an authenticated photograph. From one photo, one cannot say anything. The photos have to be taken from all sides. People need to understand that there is a difference between a forensic medicine expert (medical graduates), who has conducted autopsies and a forensic scientist (non-medical persons) who has never conducted a single autopsy but has analysed documents, conducted chemical analyses of the viscera and studied the biological evidences. Criminal lawyers have never conducted an autopsy — it is only a medical doctor, who is a forensic expert with experience in autopsies, who can opine on post mortem and injuries.

How many medical professionals are usually required for a post mortem and what are their ideal qualifications? And when you form a team of doctors for an autopsy, are they called in by appointment or are they chosen from those present in the hospital?
The rules are that any registered medical practitioner, which means anyone with an MBBS qualification, can conduct an autopsy. But ideally, a forensic medicine expert, or at times a pathologist is best suited to conduct autopsies. A forensic medicine expert is ideal in cases that show violence. If there is negligence or disease, it is ideal to bring in a pathologist. If the hospital also houses a medical college running postgraduate courses, then apart from a team of experts, there could be postgraduate trainee doctors, too.

Every medical college has a forensic medicine department. For routine purposes, there is a duty list and every doctor is assigned duties. Even one doctor can do an autopsy. But, when you require assistance, the head of the department can ask other doctors to assist. All of them present for the autopsy will sign on the report.

SHRC chief says he saw clips of Rhea Chakraborty at the hospital at the time of Rajput’s post-mortem; questions the permission, issues notice to police
Yogesh Naik (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 26, 2020)

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to the management of civic-run Cooper Hospital and the Mumbai police over actor Rhea Chakraborty getting access to the hospital’s mortuary at the time when late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s post-mortem was being conducted.

The SHRC chief M A Sayeed said, “I saw several video clips of Rhea Chakraborty visiting the mortuary at Cooper. I have asked the registrar of SHRC’s legal wing to check the provisions. We don’t know how and under what circumstances the permission to visit the mortuary was given. It should not have been so.” Sayeed has issued a show-cause notice to the hospital dean to explain how and why the permission was granted to the actor and her family members. “I am treating the matter as urgent and have listed it for August 31,” Sayeed said.

Rhea had visited the morgue at Cooper a day after Rajput died by suicide on June 14. She was photographed leaving along with three other persons. Sources in the police and the SHRC said only immediate family members of the deceased are allowed inside the mortuary.

One SHRC officer said, “We are investigating how she gained entry when she isn’t related to the deceased. We will have hearings and legal consequences will follow. The police will also have to face the consequences.”

The SHRC had received several complaints in the matter in July, the official said. However, the FIR was later lodged by Rajput’s father in Bihar and a political imbroglio followed with Maharashtra and Bihar fighting over jurisdiction and the need for a CBI probe. “Then the case went to the Supreme Court, which has only recently handed over the investigation to the CBI,” the officer said, reasoning why the SHRC couldn’t make recommendations earlier for a parallel probe into Rhea getting access to the mortuary.

A senior officer in the BMC said they are yet to receive the showcause notice from the SHRC. Even the police hadn’t received the notice at the time of going to press.

Sources in Kalina forensic lab tell mid-day that 80 per cent of the visceral samples collected have been used for analysis in the original probe, leaving only 20 per cent for the central agency
Vinod Kumar Menon (MID-DAY; August 24, 2020)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has just taken up the Sushant Singh Rajput case, has its task cut out for it with almost 80 per cent of the viscera (samples of organs) already having been utilised for analysis by the state's Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Kalina. The CBI may need to conduct its own analysis of the viscera samples to rule out intoxication or poisoning that can point to foul play.

The FSL Kalina had submitted a negative report after its analysis.

According to forensic sources, police had submitted four containers containing the viscera and blood sample after Sushant's autopsy.

"Nearly 80 per cent of the organ samples have been used for analysis. The blood was analysed for DNA, which is preserved. Nothing suspicious was found. The remaining samples have been sealed and preserved at FSL, Kalina. They can be used for a second analysis in case of disputes," said a forensic expert.

But is that much viscera enough for an analysis? "The CBI may want to do specific reanalyses, for which the sample may be sufficient. However, repeat tests after that might be a concern."

Highly placed sources investigating the case said, "The FSL scientist from Kalina who had visited the crime scene for analysis, found a cigarette butt and medicine strip, which were also analysed as non-biological samples along with a glass, but nothing incriminating was found."

"There is no scope for further crime scene analysis as it has not been preserved by local police, so subsequent missing of vital clues cannot be ruled out. With Sushant's body cremated, the CBI will have to rely on the post-mortem notes and the video footage of the autopsy. This may not be sufficient to ascertain direct foul play as no nail clippings, or finger swab were preserved," the source said.

Legal View
Senior criminal lawyer Dinesh Tiwari said, "Taking on the case after two months since the incident only makes CBI's situation grimmer. Crime can be tried in court on the basis of direct and circumstantial evidence which need to be corroborated with scientific evidence. It seems the CBI will have a big challenge of extracting forensic evidence."

Tiwari added, "The CBI will have to depend either on circumstantial evidence which may not lead to a foolproof case or puncture holes into the shoddy investigation by Mumbai police by submitting an inconclusive report in court."

FSL Scientist's Statement
CBI officials have also contacted FSL, Kalina to record the statement of a forensic scientist attached to its Physics department. Sources said that the analyst would be able to tell if any fibres from the cloth used for hanging got stuck on the neck and if the cloth was strong enough to bear Sushant's weight. Sources said that the FSL has asked the CBI to reach out through official channels.

Meanwhile, the Medico Legal Association of Maharashtra refuted reports that five forensic surgeons who conducted the analysis were questioned by CBI. Dr Shailesh Mohite, the Association's president, said, "The reports are untrue. The forensic surgeons approached us and were concerned about being trolled online. We would appreciate factual reporting in such sensitive cases," Mohite said.

Professor Dr Rajesh Dhere, the Association's secretary, "If any submission is made by forensic surgeons attached to Cooper with regard to Sushant's autopsy, we will look into it."

A CBI officer of the rank of sub-inspector did visit Cooper hospital on Saturday and submitted a letter requesting the CCTV footage of the casualty ward, the Cooper Post Mortem Centre and relevant documents.

An insider said, "Cooper hospital's dean may be able to furnish all details except the CCTV footage of the post mortem centre as it comes under Police Surgeon Dr S M Patil."

Dr Patil was unavailable for comment due to personal reasons. Dr Pinakin Gujjar, dean of HBT Medical College and Dr R N Cooper hospital, said, "I cannot comment at this stage as a CBI probe is on."

Expert Speak
Solicitor Stuti Galiya said, "In any criminal investigation, a crime scene provides actual, direct and physical evidence. This evidence virtually determines the fate of the case. In the two months since the incident, it is likely that most of the direct and physical evidence may be lost or tampered with. The court would have to rely heavily on circumstantial evidence. This would leave a lot of room for interpretations, arguments and questions on authenticity and genuineness of the evidence," said Galiya.

"It is possible that either an innocent person will get dragged in the case or the real culprit will get acquitted," Galiya concluded.


CBI officers at Bandra police station. Pic/Sameer Markande

Vijay V Singh (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 24, 2020)

Mumbai: A CBI team visited Cooper Hospital on Saturday and questioned two of the five doctors who had conducted the post-mortem on actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Based on the statements of his domestic helps who were present in the flat, the CBI also recreated the last few hours leading up to his death on June 14.

The actor was found dead in his Bandra flat and city police have termed it a suicide. The CBI is investigating an FIR initially registered by the Patna police accusing Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and others of abetment to suicide.

Doctors at Cooper Hospital had collected the actor’s viscera and blood sample along with a sample of the ligature mark. The report by the state forensic lab at Kalina which examined the samples had termed it a suicide and ruled out poisoning. The CBI will send these samples to the central forensic laboratory in Chandigarh, sources said. “The urine sample of the deceased was not collected for examination which is crucial to establish the presence of any intoxicant in his body at the time of the death,” said the source.

The CBI team has already questioned Rajput’s friend Siddharth Pithani as well as his house helps Neeraj Singh and Deepesh Sawant. The three were the first to see the actor’s body. Forensic experts along with the CBI officials have examined the later actor’s flat. The CBI has also recorded the statement of Rajput’s house manager, Samuel Miranda, who was appointed by Rhea. CBI is also cross-examining the statements of witnesses. Sources stated most of the CBI investigation will be dependent on forensic examination and post-mortem reports to ascertain the cause of the death.

Meanwhile, the CBI has collected most of the evidence from the Bandra police for examination.

Vijay V Singh (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 22, 2020)

Mumbai: On the first day of its probe in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, CBI officials questioned the late actor’s cook Neeraj Singh and house manager Samuel Miranda on Friday. The agency will also question his associates on the sequence of events that culminated in his death.

A separate CBI team spent the entire day at the Bandra police station gathering information and all relevant material from the police. The city police have been carrying out an inquiry to ascertain the facts behind his death. The CBI team left from the police station around 9 pm and declined to comment.

CBI officials arrived in the city on Thursday and Friday and split into different groups to record statements and collect evidence.

Rhea Chakraborty had appointed Samuel Miranda as house manager at Rajput’s flat and it is alleged that Rhea had given Rajput a mobile card for use which was procured using Miranda’s ID.

Rajput was found dead in his rented apartment at Bandra on June 14. Bandra police treated it as an accidental death and had taken Rajput’s personal phones, laptop and a diary as evidence.

The CBI is investigating the case following a Supreme Court order.

Rajput’s friend Siddharth Pithani, who was staying with the actor since last year, Neeraj and two other house employees, Keshav Bachner and Deepesh Sawant, were in the flat when the alleged suicide took place.

The CBI team will also record the statement of doctors who conducted the post-mortem and will examine the evidence collected with the help of forensic experts. It is learnt that once the statements of all those who witnessed the actor’s body in the flat are recorded, the central agency will recreate the crime scene at the Bandra flat with the help of experts.

Rajput’s family, which has accused Rhea and her family members of abetment to suicide, is seeking a detailed probe.
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Now, AIIMS sets up board to examine autopsy report

Durgesh Nandan Jha (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 22, 2020)

New Delhi: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has formed a medical board to examine and analyse the post-mortem examination report of Sushant Singh Rajput. Dr Sudhir Gupta, professor and head of the department of forensic medicine who will lead the medical board, has confirmed this to TOI. Dr Gupta said the medical board has been formed on the request of the CBI. “We will examine the autopsy report prepared by the doctors of Cooper Hospital in Mumbai. Detailed analysis of the viscera, ligature material (which was used for hanging), his clothes and photographs and videography of the autopsy will also be carried out,” he added.

Dr Gupta said the board will evaluate all possible manners of death, including the murder angle. The team will also visit Mumbai. The post-mortem report submitted by Cooper Hospital to Bandra police station had ruled out foul play and confirmed Rajput died due to hanging.

Their phones and Cooper hospital’s landline ring constantly; screenshots of FB account and LinkedIn profile posted online
Alka Dhupkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 19, 2020)

Five doctors of Cooper hospital who had signed off on actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s post-mortem examination report have been doxxed and are being relentlessly harassed.

The targeted malicious campaign—which put out the doctors’ names with their phone numbers with a copy of the autopsy report took off online three days ago with the allegation that they had taken a bribe to declare that the actor had died by suicide. Within hours, not only was this claim widely shared along with a screenshot of the Facebook account of one of the doctors and the LinkedIn profile of another, but many people also began making abusive calls to them. Some even tracked down the doctors’ alternative contact numbers by pretending to be patients in distress, as well as flooded the hospital’s landline with calls. Many of these call recordings have been posted online, prompting other harassers to do the same.

From demanding that the doctors’ licences be cancelled and be booked for murder to calling for the hospital’s closure, the harassers haven’t spared anyone. They have even published the contact numbers and work profiles of doctors with similar names.

Dr Pinakin Gujjar, dean of Cooper hospital, confirmed that the five doctors are being abused online as well as on calls, but refused to divulge more details, saying he, too, has been subjected to similar harassment.

A colleague of the five doctors said the trolls stepped up the attack after an unverified claim began doing the rounds that the doctors had gone into hiding.

Hospital authorities said the doctors are petrified and reluctant to file a police complaint, fearing that they could be subjected to further harassment. The medical fraternity has offered to provide them with legal guidance should they be willing to file a complaint with the police or any other authority. At a meeting with an office-bearer of the Medico-Legal Association of Maharashtra on Monday, one of the targeted doctors also expressed concern for the safety of his family member, who is also featured on the Facebook profile photograph being circulated. “He refused to file a complaint even on Tuesday. We understand their reservation; these are young doctors,” said a senior forensic science expert.

Condemning the attacks, Dr Shailesh Mohite, president of the Medico-legal Association of Maharashtra, said those who are objecting to the manner in which the post-mortem examination was conducted should seek legal recourse, instead of running a witch-hunt.

Another doctor from Cooper hospital said questioning the credentials of the forensic experts and mounting a hate campaign against them is a tactic to intimidate the medical fraternity. “We hope the Mumbai police will take note of this.”

In its post-mortem examination report, conducted hours after Rajput’s body was found in his Bandra apartment on June 14, Cooper hospital had said the actor had died of “asphyxia due to hanging”. Rajput’s family has questioned why the time of death, which is usually mentioned in an autopsy report, is missing from it. Last month, the Forensic Science Laboratory in Kalina ruled out homicide, and said that there was no trace of any harmful or toxic chemicals and/or drugs in Rajput’s viscera samples.

Clippings of fingernails and other evidence from the body could have helped clear the air around whether there was any foul play in the case
Vinod Kumar Menon (MID-DAY; August 5, 2020)

Crucial finger swabs and nail clippings of Sushant Singh Rajput were not collected by the team of forensic surgeons during the actor's autopsy on June 14 at Cooper Hospital after he allegedly hanged himself. Sources said these, and dust particles from the ceiling fan and on the cloth he used to hang himself, both could have helped rule out foul play.

This swab could have indicated if dust particles from the ceiling fan were present on Sushant's fingers. This would have cleared the ambiguity over foul play," said a forensic surgeon from a city medical college on condition of anonymity.

The surgeon explained, "The dust particles would have been on the cloth used for hanging, on the ceiling fan and fingertips. Type of dust particles on all would have offered a clue. Even if the fingertips did not have dust, the cloth and fan would surely have had."

Need a mix of experts
Medico-legal experts are of the opinion that instead of having five forensic surgeons to conduct the autopsy in high profile cases it is advisable to have a mix of professionals such as a forensic surgeon, pathologist, an expert from the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), etc. The police surgeon, who is also the medico-legal advisor to the state, was not approached or contacted by the investigating police team for forensic advice. Also, no fingerprint expert was present during the forensic team's visit on July 16. The same team of forensic surgeons conducted Sushant's autopsy at Cooper hospital in Andheri.

"The forensic surgeons/scientists could have asked to take specific fingerprints, which a fingerprint expert may miss out on as every crime scene is different. An analysis of the same by a forensic surgeon and forensic scientist usually helps gather more evidence," the surgeon said.

Better coordination must
Experts explained that there should have been better coordination between various departments such as forensic medicine, fingerprints, photography, etc. to ensure a watertight evaluation of the crime scene, with solid direct and indirect evidence. The collective presence of all experts can help analyse and preserve evidence better.

The five-member team that conducted Sushant's autopsy had four forensic surgeons from the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, HBT Medical College and Dr R N Cooper Municipal Hospital and one from the hospital's post-mortem centre, working under police surgeon Dr S M Patil. Dr Patil told mid-day, "We have divided the week's work between the postmortem centre and the HBT Medical College's Department of Forensic Medicine. On the day Sushant's autopsy was conducted, it was the HBT team's turn to be on duty and the doctor at the postmortem centre at Cooper hospital was asked to join." A senior police officer refused to comment on the matter.

Autopsy findings
Forensic sources revealed that Sushant's autopsy on July 14 was recorded for future reference. A physical examination of the body showed no external injuries. Forensic surgeons used adhesive tape on the ligature mark on the neck for fibre estimation. This is usually done to identify the cloth used for hanging. However, no nail clippings were preserved as they were not requested by the police. They could have helped rule out scuffles.

The FSL, Kalina's analysis of the viscera and blood sample for presence of drugs or other intoxicants has returned negative. The team of forensic surgeons will be submitting their final cause of death report to the police soon.

V Narayan (THE TIMES OF INDIA; June 25, 2020)

Mumbai: Sushant Singh Rajput’s final post-mortem report from Cooper Hospital submitted to Bandra police station on Monday has confirmed the 34-year-old actor died due to hanging and it is a clear case of suicide. It ruled out any foul play. Eleven days after his death, though, police are still clueless about what prompted Rajput to end his life.

Rajput was found dead by a house help in a bedroom of his sixth-floor flat at Mount Blanc Apartment in Bandra (West) on June 14. Bandra police said Rajput’s viscera and vital organs were preserved for certain chemical tests at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Kalina.

Meanwhile, the investigation team plans to seek details from Twitter over suspicions that his tweets over the past six months might have been deleted. “We will dispatch a letter to Twitter to get information on whether Rajput was active on his handle @itsSSR in the past six months because there is something wrong. It is observed that his last tweet was on December 27, 2019, and since then there are no more posts,” a senior police official told TOI on the condition of anonymity.

DCP (Zone IX) Abhishek Trimukhe confirmed the investigation team received the final post-mortem report on June 22, and it confirmed suicide. Trimukhe, though, declined to elaborate on the report.

Meanwhile, Bandra police have recorded statements of at least 23 people, including Rajput’s actor-friend Rhea Chakraborty, his family and managerial staff.

Police are also going through his multi-film contract papers obtained from a production house.

Chakraborty, in her statement, reportedly said she was living with Rajput in his flat for a while and she left on June 8, after which his sister was to join him. She said Rajput was being treated for clinical depression.

A person who handles post-mortem reports told TOI: “The FSL performed an autopsy of vital organs and viscera and confirmed the death was caused due to hanging.”

Police said they have asked the directorate of forensic science services to speed up the chemical analysis at the Kalina lab. “The PM report suggested no struggle marks or external injuries were found on the actor’s body. The cause of death is mentioned as asphyxia due to hanging. His nails were found clean too,” said the police.

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.