Rebecca Samervel (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 15, 2020)

Mumbai: If Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik are released on bail, they may alert those involved in the drug case and there is possibility of tampering the evidence, said the special NDPS court, in its order rejecting their pleas. The siblings are among those arrested in the drug case linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.

On Friday, special judge G B Gurao had rejected the bail pleas of Rhea (28), Showik (23), Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda, Rajput’s cook Deepesh Sawant, and alleged drug peddlers Basit Parihar and Zaid Vilatra. Special public prosecutor Atul Sarpande had opposed their pleas. The order copies were made available on Monday.

The judge said the records show Rhea and Rajput were in a live-in relationship. The court said the NCB had alleged that she procured drugs for Rajput by financing them, and had asked Showik to arrange for them. “The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had recovered WhatsApp chats and other electronic evidence. Some amount is also transferred via her credit card. Also there is recovery of commercial quantity of LSD from accused Anuj Keshwani. The probe is at a preliminary stage, therefore..it cannot be said that there are no reasonable grounds to connect the accused.”

Seeking bail for the siblings, their lawyer Satish Maneshinde had said that both had retracted their self-incriminating confessional statements as they were coerced into giving them. But the court said that “we are... not conducting a mini trial and therefore...what is the record before the court is to be seen”. It added that at this stage, it cannot be said that Rhea’s statement was forcibly recorded.

The duo has also been accused of “illicit trafficking and harbouring of offenders” under Section 27A of the NDPS Act. Maneshinde had submitted that the NCB had not quantified the drugs and the claims, at best, would pertain to small quantities and the offence, if any, was bailable. He said if the entire evidence is seen, according to the prosecution, only Rs 12,000 had been spent by Rhea through credit cards for drugs. He said that merely, sale and purchase of drugs does not amount to illicit traffic. But the court said for an offence to be proved under Section 27A no particular quantity of the drug is required. It referred to the 0.6gm LSD allegedly recovered from Keshwani.

The order said under Section 37, no person accused under 27A or for offences involving commercial quantity can be given bail unless the court is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe he’s not guilty and that he is unlikely to commit offence while out on bail.

The court also accepted the prosecution’s submission that during interrogation, Rhea was accompanied by a woman cop.

Rebecca Samervel (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 12, 2020)

Mumbai: A special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act court on Friday rejected the bail pleas of actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik in the drug case being probed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.

The court also rejected the bail pleas of Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda and cook Deepesh Sawant and alleged drug peddlers, Basit Parihar and Zaid Vilatra.

G B Gurao, special NDPS Act judge, observed that bail could not be granted at this stage. Detailed order copies are yet to be made available.

Rhea was arrested on Tuesday and Showik last week.

Satish Maneshinde, lawyer for the siblings, said: “Once we get a copy of the court order, we will decide next week on approaching Bombay high court.”

Meanwhile, special public prosecutor Atul Sarpande moved a plea seeking cancellation of the bail earlier granted to alleged drug peddler, Kaizan Ibrahim. He was arrested on September 4, and granted bail the following day by a magistrate’s court. Sarpande said that Ibrahim was in contact with several accused and hence, he should be in custody. The plea will come up for hearing on September 15.

On Wednesday, Rhea had moved the special NDPS court after a magistrate’s court rejected her plea for bail. She sought parity with co-accused Ibrahim and alleged peddlers Abbas Lakhani and Karna Arora, from whom 59gm of ganja was allegedly recovered. The trio is out on bail.

Maneshinde had pointed out that no drugs were found from either Rhea or Showik. Rhea had also retracted her statement made to the NCB saying she was ‘coerced’ into making self-incriminating confessions. He submitted that no case was made out against her under the graver charge of Section 27 A (financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders) of the NDPS Act which attracts a minimum 10 years and a maximum 20 years in jail.

“In essence, her alleged role, if any, is the purchase of a small quantity of drugs for her then boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput which would squarely fall within the ambit of a section which is punishable with a maximum imprisonment of up to one year or with fine or both. Hence, the allegations against Rhea make out an offence that is bailable in nature,” Maneshinde had said.

Opposing Rhea’s bail plea, Sarpande submitted that she had conscious knowledge about Rajput’s drug consumption and she made herself part of the offence by procuring drugs and using her credit card and other payment modes to pay for them. “Rhea has been involved in financing the illicit dealing of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. She has revealed sufficient information related to contravention of the NDPS Act and at this early stage, if she is enlarged on bail, there are high chances of tampering of evidence and influencing witnesses,” the prosecution had submitted.

Sarpande claimed that the drugs were received by Miranda and Sawant and handed over to Rajput. He added that sufficient evidence was collected against Rhea and Showik from phones, laptops and voluntary statements of her and the other accused.
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BOMBAY TIMES (September 12, 2020)

A special court in Mumbai on Friday rejected the bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, and others in the drug case filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The other accused in the case are Abdul Basit, Zaid Vilatra, Dipesh Sawant and Samuel Miranda.

Rhea and others were arrested by the NCB for allegedly procuring drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput, who died on June 14. The actress is in judicial custody till September 22.

DURING THE STATEMENT, RHEA CHAKRABORTY REVEALED ABOUT HER INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROCUREMENT OF DRUG AND FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS: NCB
While opposing the bail to Showik, NCB said that if released on bail, he may tamper with the evidence and will also try to win the witness by using her (Rhea) position in the society and money power. In its response to Rhea’s bail application, the NCB had said, “During the statement, present accused Rhea Chakraborty revealed about her involvement in the procurement of drug and financial transactions and also her instructions to Samuel Miranda, Deepesh Sawant and applicant Showik Chakraborty in this regard. Therefore, it is clear from the statement that the applicant is an active member of a drug syndicate connected with drug supplies.”

SHE ISN’T A PART OF ANY DRUG SYNDICATE: ADVOCATE SATISH MANESHINDE, RHEA’S LAWYER
In her bail plea, Rhea had claimed that she was falsely implicated in the case and that the NCB officials had coerced her into making self-incriminating statements. Advocate Satish Maneshinde, who is representing Rhea and Showik, told BT, “The next step is to move Bombay High Court, and we are preparing for it. First, it’s a small quantity, and secondly, she isn’t a part of any drug syndicate. The person who was caught and was in connect with another person caught with commercial quantity, the department asked for his bail. They say that she was financing narcotics drugs trade and was involved in drug trafficking, whereas, it has been alleged that she had spent only Rs. 12,000 for a transaction, according to them. So, how can it amount to financing or trafficking? Rs. 12,000 at worst can be taken as purchase of a small quantity. Their own case is that one gram costs Rs. 5,000. Bud is a more refined form of ganja. So how can it be of commercial quantity, illicit trade or harbouring? Charges against her are a ploy to keep her in custody. All accused have retracted their statements. Besides, the NCB itself says that she never consumed drugs. Showik and her drug tests have been done. Both were found with no drugs. There’s nothing to incriminate Rhea and Showik.”

— With inputs from Neha Maheshwri
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NCB seeks cancellation of alleged drug peddler Kaizan Ibrahim’s bail
David Delima (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 12, 2020)

A special NDPS court on Friday rejected the bail applications of actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik in the drugs case against them in connection with the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Judge GB Gurao also dismissed the bail pleas of Rajput’s cook Dipesh Sawant, house manager Samuel Miranda, and alleged drug peddlers Zaid Vilatra and Basit Parihar.

The district magistrate had rejected Chakraborty’s bail application on the day of her arrest on September 8 for allegedly arranging and financing the sale of marijuana for her partner Rajput. It had sent her to judicial custody till September 22. She is lodged in the Byculla jail.

Chakraborty moved the NDPS court on Thursday, contending that she had been booked by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for bailable offences as her alleged role was limited to purchasing a small quantity of drugs for Rajput, which is punishable with a maximum one-year jail term and/or a fine.

Her application had said that she had formally retracted self-incriminating confessions she was coerced into making during her questioning, and that the agency had booked her under Section 27A (financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act without any evidence.

Special Public Prosecutor Atul Sarpande had told the court that the anti-drugs agency had recorded statements and retrieved payment records to show that the accused had been “actively involved in the procurement of the drugs”. As they had paid for the drugs delivered to Rajput’s employees, it was clear that they had “actively aided, abetted and financed other accused persons for the drug transactions” as part of a conspiracy, punishable with imprisonment for 20 years, it was argued.

Sarpande had also said the release granted to another accused, Kaizan Ibrahim, on bail was legally correct as he had not been booked under Section 27A of the NDPS Act. Chakraborty had sought bail on the grounds of parity with Ibrahim and two other accused, Abbas Lakhani and Karan Arora.

Sarpande told Mirror on Friday that the NCB has moved an application seeking cancellation of Ibrahim’s bail as there was evidence to indicate that he was part of the alleged conspiracy.

Meanwhile, Chakraborty’s lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, said he was yet to receive a copy of the NDPS court’s order and will later decide on whether to approach the Bombay High Court next week.  

Rebecca Samervel (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 11, 2020)

Mumbai: ‘Strongly opposing’ actor Rhea Chakraborty’s bail plea, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has claimed that she was clearly involved in financing activities related to illicit trafficking of drugs and this is supported by the voluntary statements made by her and other accused, WhatsApp chat records, call detail records and information recovered from laptops and tablets.

“The applicant (Rhea) was having conscious knowledge about drug consumption by Sushant Singh Rajput and she made herself part of this offence by procuring drugs. She has used her credit card and payment getaways to facilitate the financial transactions related to dealing of illicit drug trafficking,” the NCB said before a special NDPS court on Thursday. The court is likely to pronounce its order on Friday.

Special public prosecutor Atul Sarpande refuted Rhea’s claims that she was coerced into making self-incriminating confessions which she has now formally retracted. “The confession was taken legally and is admissible. Retraction is a routine process based on legal advice,” the prosecution said, adding that she “cannot escape the clutches of the law”.

He cited similar grounds to oppose the bail plea of Rhea’s brother Showik Chakraborty.

The prosecution said that, in a voluntary statement, Rhea had confessed that she was staying with Rajput since April 2019 and was procuring drugs for him through Showik and his associates Basit Parihar, Kaizan Ibrahim and Zaid Vilatra. “She was operating this drug procurement nexus through (Rajput’s house manager) Samuel Miranda, (cook) Deepesh Sawant and Showik,” it said.

While Rhea was arrested on Tuesday, Showik was arrested last week. Special judge G B Gurao is likely to pronounce the orders on the pleas of the siblings on Friday, along with the bail pleas of Miranda, Sawant, Vilatra and Parihar.

Emphasising that she should remain in Byculla jail, the prosecution submitted that Rhea, by her own submissions had “deep roots in society”, so others “in her circle” who are also involved in such an offence may threaten or compel her to remove evidence or tamper with it.

The prosecution said that “financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders” was a non-bailable offence under Section 27A of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Explaining how the section was applicable, it said, “As per her statement, she was making payment for the drugs and their delivery was taken by Miranda and Sawant for handing over those drugs to Sushant. Therefore, it is clear that the drugs... were not meant for personal consumption, but for supplying the same to other person.”

Sarpande added that contrary to claims made in Rhea’s bail plea, women officers were present during her interrogation earlier this week.

Rhea’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde argued that the offences against her were bailable and no purpose would be served by keeping her in jail. He added that she has cooperated with the investigations. 

Rebecca Samervel (BOMBAY TIMES; September 10, 2020)

Mumbai: Actor Rhea Chakraborty on Wednesday moved the special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court seeking bail and retracted her statement to the Narcotics Control Bureau saying she was ‘coerced’ into making self-incriminating confessions.

Rhea was arrested on Tuesday by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for allegedly arranging and financing consumption of marijuana by her late boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput. In her plea, Rhea has said that while in custody, she was coerced into making confessions that she is now formally retracting. The bail plea, along with that of her brother Showik’s, will be heard by special NDPS Act judge, G B Gurao, on Thursday.

After Rhea Chakraborty retracted her statements and with her and her brother’s bail pleas coming up on Thursday, NCB officials said they would oppose them considering their involvement in the drug case. Among the various sections, the siblings have also been booked under Section 27A (punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders) of the NDPS Act, a non-bailable offence.

Showik was arrested last week. On Tuesday night, a magistrate court had rejected Rhea’s bail plea and sent her to 14-day judicial custody. The 28-year-old Santacruz resident is lodged in Byculla jail.

In the plea, Rhea’s advocate Satish Maneshinde said no incriminating drugs were found in her possession, and the investigating agency’s case was deliberately vague about the alleged quantum of finance attributed to her. It was also silent on the quantum and type of drugs allegedly procured and financed by her.

It said that in layman’s terms, the NCB’s case is that Rhea would coordinate the delivery of drugs for Rajput and occasionally pay for them. The plea said that based on these allegations, the NCB has alleged that Rhea “is an active member of a drug syndicate”.

“The NCB has used these basic facts to spin a false narrative that portrays Rhea as being someone who finances the illicit traffic or harbouring of offenders. There is no allegation of Rhea having procured or financed any drug whatsoever outside of the period during which she was in a relationship with Rajput,” the plea said.

It also said that NCB had not disclosed any connection between Rhea and any drug peddlers and only connected her to co-accused, Sushant’s house manager, Samuel Miranda, his domestic help, Dipesh Sawant and her brother .

“In essence, her alleged role, if any, is the purchase of a small quantity of drugs for her then boyfriend Rajput which would squarely fall within the ambit of a section which is punishable with a maximum imprisonment of up to one year or with fine or both. Hence, the allegations against Rhea make out an offence that is bailable in nature,” the plea said.

Maneshinde also sought parity for Rhea with other accused in the case who have been granted bail. While Kaizan Ibrahim was granted bail on the first day he was produced before the court, Abbas Lakhani and Karna Arora, from whom allegedly a total of 59 gm of ganja was recovered, were both also granted the relief. “It is pertinent to note that despite identical allegations being foisted upon co accused Kaizan, the NCB chose to selectively apply Section 27 of the NDPS Act only in respect of Rhea and her brother,” the plea said.

Urging the court to decide the plea expeditiously “given the grave risk to her welfare”, her defence said, “Rhea apprehends serious risk to her life if she were to be unduly detained in judicial custody. She has been at the receiving end of hundreds of deaths and rape threats for the past several months.” The defence also cited the coronavirus pandemic and said how a record-breaking spike in cases would cause harm to her health if she continued to remain in jail.

The plea also said that in the three days preceding her arrest, despite it being mandated by law, not a single female officer had conducted her interrogation. Instead, only multiple male officers had grilled her for a minimum of eight hours at a stretch, the plea said.

The defence also said that Rhea was only 28 years old and had been subjected to investigations by three other agencies. “All of these proceedings have taken a severe toll on her mental health and well-being. Any further custody would only worsen her condition” the plea stated. “Judicial custody is unwarranted. There is nothing to suggest that she would abuse her liberty.”

The plea said that Rhea has strong roots in society, was a permanent resident of Mumbai and there was no likelihood that she would abscond. It also cited a Supreme Court judgment which said that “the purpose is not to detain an accused for the purpose of giving him a taste of conviction prior to the conviction of the court of competent jurisdiction.”

Meanwhile, alleged drug supplier Anuj Keshwani was produced before court and further remanded to NCB custody till September 14. The other accused — Zaid Vilatra, Basit Parihar, Samuel Miranda, Deepesh Sawant and Showik Chakraborty — were sent to judicial custody till September 23. 

No murder or fraud yet established. What we got instead was a giant smokescreen
Somendra Sharma and Vallabh Ozarkar (MUMBVAI MIRROR; September 9, 2020)

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has no evidence to link Rhea Chakraborty with any drug syndicate and what the agency has dug up so far is only a history of personal consumption and purchases made for Sushant Singh Rajput, according to a senior NCB officer who did not wish to be identified.

The NCB has also not recovered any drugs from Rhea or her brother Showik and the agency is relying only on the two being in touch with some of the alleged suppliers who have been arrested, including Zaid Vilatra, Abbas Lakhani, and Kaizan Ibrahim.

Perhaps an indication of NCB’s own belief in how strong their case is, the agency on Tuesday evening, just hours after Rhea’s arrest, did not seek her custody for interrogation and instead was okay with her being sent into judicial custody. At the time of filing this report, Rhea’s lawyers were arguing for her bail.

NCB’s entire case, the officer said, is based on chat histories of Rhea and Showik’s phones. It is in these chats that names of some drugs suppliers pop up.

Advocate Ayaz Khan, who specialises in NDPS cases in Mumbai’s Sessions Court as well as the High Court, said the agency will have to prove the financing part with cogent, physical evidence. “Even if a person purchases a consumable quantity of a specified substance, that by itself can’t amount to financing a drug syndicate,” he said. When asked about the quantity of a drug possession of which qualifies for a serious offence, under the NDPS Act, he said that quantity varies from substance to substance, but so far as marijuana is concerned, up to 1 kg is considered a “small quantity.” “Since in this case so far, the agency hasn’t gone beyond some really small quantity, the accused can plead for detoxification for six months under section 64A of the Act after which the court can let off the accused,” Khan said.

While the CBI and ED’s investigation have drawn a naught as far as murder, abetment to suicide and money laundering angles in Sushant’s death are concerned, the drug charge also does not in any way connect Rhea to Sushant’s deteriorating mental health and eventual death by a suicide. Deepesh Sawant, who was part of Sushant’s staff for many years, in his statement to NCB has said that Sushant was into drugs long before he met Rhea.

Sawant’s statement says that he joined Sushant’s staff in September 2018 and that he saw him consuming drugs on may occasions, which corroborates Rhea’s claim that she did not introduce Sushant to drugs.

In fact, the agency does not have any evidence to link even Showik to peddling. According to their investigations, Showik only procured marijuana, weed, and hash for his own and Rhea and Sushant’s consumption. They have not found any material to suggest that he supplied drugs even within the film industry.

Both Rhea and Showik have not been put through any tests for consumption of drugs.

Travesty Of Justice, Says Her Lawyer
Ahmed Ali (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 9, 2020)

Mumbai: After three days of questioning, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday arrested actor Rhea Chakraborty on charges of allegedly arranging and financing consumption of marijuana by her boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput with the help of her brother Showik, Sushant’s house manager Samuel Miranda and cook Deepesh Sawant.

NCB, in its remand application, described her as part of an “active drug syndicate” connected with drug suppliers. The agency, however, did not ask for her custody and instead requested that she be sent to judicial custody. A magistrate, through video conferencing, remanded Rhea in judicial custody till September 22.

Sources said her lawyer Satish Maneshinde is likely to move sessions court for bail on Wednesday.

The actress has been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Pyschotropic Substances Act under section 8 (c) which deals with possession and purchase, 20B (II) for possession, purchase and transporting, 27 for financing illicit traffic, 28 for attempt to commit offences, and 29 for abetment and criminal conspiracy.

The offences attract a minimum punishment of 10 years imprisonment and maximum of 20 years and a fine not less than Rs 1 lakh.
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Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), while admitting that cases of possession and procurement such as the one involving Rhea Chakraborty was not part of their “mandate”, said they had managed to piece it together to their satisfaction.

“We are satisfied with her three days of interrogations and we don’t need her custody any more. Normally we look at international and inter-state drug trafficking and usually this is not our mandate… we look for big fish. But now we are getting information and we will not spare anyone whose names are figuring in the investigations. We will bring the case to its logical conclusion,” said deputy DG, NCB Mutha Ashok Jain. NCB’s mandate is to bust drug syndicates and unearth factories that are into manufacturing contraband.

The remand application says, “These deliveries (of marijuana) used to be received by aides of Sushant and every delivery and payment was in conscious knowledge of Rhea Chakraborty and even sometimes payment and choice of drugs was confirmed from Rhea.” Rhea is the 10th person to be arrested in the NCB’s probe into drug use involving Sushant Singh Rajput.

The remand application said Rhea’s brother Showik has revealed that he facilitated delivery of drugs through peddlers Basit Parihar, Kaizan Ibrahim and Zaid Vilatra. Showik is accused of organising weed (marijuana) for Sushant between September 2019 and March 2020. There are chat messages between Rhea, Showik and Samuel involving discussions of procurement of drugs. However, the only recoveries of drugs have so far been from the alleged peddlers.

In her media interviews, Rhea had said that Sushant was a substance abuser and her attempts to wean him off did not yield results. The Enforcement Directorate while probing a money laundering angle had found chat messages pertaining to drugs on Rhea’s mobile, which triggered this investigation. The ED passed on the details to the NCB.

NCB officials said she was placed under arrest at around 3.30 pm. Rhea appeared before the NCB at 9.30 am on Tuesday and carried a bag containing a pair of clothes and a water bottle with her.

Terming her arrest a “travesty of justice”, her lawyer Satish Maneshinde said, “Three central agencies hounding a single woman just because she was in love with a drug addict who was suffering from mental health issues for several years and was under the care of five leading psychiatrists in Mumbai, who ended up committing suicide due to consumption of illegally administered medicines and used drugs...” After her arrest, NCB officials took her to Sion hospital for a medical test.

On Wednesday, the seven other accused in the case will be produced before the court as their custody period ends.
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S Ahmed Ali & Rebecca Samervel | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 8, 2020)

Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), probing a drug angle in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, has summoned Rhea Chakraborty to appear again before the agency on Tuesday. Sources said Rhea is likely to undergo intense questioning for a third day in succession regarding alleged procurement of narcotics believed to have been consumed by Sushant Singh Rajput and her brother Showik.

Rhea appeared before the federal drug enforcement agency at Ballard Pier in south Mumbai at 9.30 am on Monday. She was allowed to go home only after 8 hours of grilling. As per Supreme Court orders, no woman can be questioned/arrested after sundown or before sunrise without special permission from a magistrate.

Sources said Rhea’s alleged role in procuring drugs is the matter under probe. Since the NCB is not satisfied with her answers, they have summoned her again on Tuesday.

Rajput’s domestic staff Samuel Miranda and his cook Deepesh Sawant have allegedly said that Showik organised weed (marijuana) for Rajput for nearly seven months.

“On Monday, Rhea was confronted with statements made by her brother Showik in his presence. Also, Samuel Miranda, Deepesh Sawant, drug peddlers Basit Parihar, Zaid Vilatra and Kaizan Ibrahim. Our interrogations are not over and there are many more things which need to be answered,” said an officer.

NCB also produced another dealer held in the case, Anuj Keshwani, before a magistrate through video conferencing on Monday. He was remanded to custody till September 9. A huge cache of narcotic substances including hashish, marijuana and LSD sheets were recovered from him.

Keshwani was the eighth to be arrested since NCB started the probe last month. Sources said Keshwani is a big-time supplier associated with Bollywood and social parties.

The drug probe began when the Enforcement Directorate, which was probing a money laundering angle, allegedly found chat messages pertaining to drugs on Rhea’s mobile. The ED passed on the details to NCB. Officials said her Whatsapp chats point to conspiracy and abetment.

Meanwhile, in a hearing before the sessions court, the NCB opposed the bail pleas of Vilatra and Parihar and claimed that apart from the initial recovery of 60 gms of marijuana, a variety of drugs had been seized from Keshwani, qualifying the total recovery as “commercial quantity”.

NCB said it had recovered 0.62 grams of LSD. It said that while 0.01 grams of LSD qualified as commercial quantity under the NDPS Act, the recovered amount is much more than that.

While the original drug case in Sushant's death was filed by NCB on August 26, all its actions - including Rhea's impending arrest - are happening in a different ganja case filed on August 28
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; September 7, 2020)

Days after registering an FIR (15/2020) against actress Rhea Chakraborty and her family based on chats related to a possible drug angle in the case, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is yet to make any headway in the matter. However, it has been working on a different FIR (16/2020) registered last month and has arrested eight people in the case. After questioning Rhea in the same matter for six hours on Sunday, the NCB got remand of the eight accused by connecting the case to Sushant's alleged suicide.

Before leaving for the NCB office, Rhea issued a statement through her lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, which says, "Rhea is ready for arrest as this is a witch-hunt and if loving someone is a crime, then she will face the consequences of it. She has not approached any court for anticipatory bail in all the cases foisted on her by the Bihar police, CBI, ED and NCB."

'Doing Everything Legally'
After her questioning, DDG Ashok Jain briefed the press and said that Rhea had been summoned again on Monday for further questioning. However, he didn't answer the questions related to her possible arrest. After the briefing, mid-day asked him about the progress of the main FIR 15/2020 registered in connection with Sushant's death in which Rhea, her family and others have been named, to which he said, "We are doing everything legally and also consulting our legal team on FIR number 15/2020." However, he refused to speak about the progress of the case and whether Rhea was questioned related to it or the other FIR (16/2020).

On August 26, the NCB had registered an offence (15/2020) against Rhea, her family and others under section 20(b)/22/27/28/29 of NDPS Act. The FIR was registered based on Rhea's WhatsApp chats shared by the Enforcement Directorate. The NCB had mentioned that no seizure happened in the case as it was registered based on the chats.

On August 28, the NCB Mumbai and Delhi teams arrested drug peddlers Abbas Lakhani and Karan Arora after they were found in possession of 46 gms of Marijuana and 59 gms of Ganja. An FIR (16/2020) was registered against them under NDPS.

Following this the agency arrested another peddler Zaid Vilatra, based on whose statement, they nabbed Abdel Basit Parihar and found that he used to sell Marijuana, Ganja and Bud. During his interrogation the agency got to know that he used to purchase drugs from Vilatra and another peddler Kaizan Ebrahim on the instructions of Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik Chakraborty, who directed them to be delivered to Sameul Miranda. And based on the statements of Basit and Kaizan, Miranda and Showik were arrested and sent to NCB custody till September 9.

On Saturday, the NCB also arrested Sushant's house help Deepesh Sawant based on a voluntary statement of Showik, who said that Parihar provided drugs to Sawant. Sawant was produced before the holiday court on Sunday and sent to NCB custody till September 9. However, all these arrests were made in FIR number 16/2020. While producing the accused before the court, NCB said, "We are investigating the drug angle in the SSR case. It's highly substantive and needs to be investigated thoroughly to uproot the drug citadel in Mumbai and especially in Bollywood."

'Not Related To SSR Case'
Meanwhile, Sawant's lawyer Rajendra Rathod told mid-day, "My client was arrested for conspiracy under NDPS Act in a different case, which is not related to the SSR matter. The agency is claiming that they are investigating a larger high-profile drug syndicate, which is related to Bollywood and they mentioned Rajput's name in court. I have also filed an application before the court that my client was kept in illegal custody from September 4 and was produced before the court only on Sunday. The court has sought a response from the agency."

Mateen Hafeez (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 7, 2020)

Mumbai: Actor Rhea Chakraborty was questioned for six-and-a-half hours on Sunday by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with the drug case linked to her late boyfriend and actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

She will be summoned again on Monday for questioning, said an NCB officer.

In another development, the NDPS court sent Chembur resident Deepesh Sawant (25), Rajput’s house manager who has been arrested in the drug case, to NCB custody till September 9.

On Sunday, the NCB also carried out a raid in Khar and seized banned narcotics. M A Jain, NCB deputy director, told mediapersons that in the raid, they seized 590 gm of hashish, 0.6 gm of LSD sheets, 304 gm of marijuana, including imported joints and capsules, over Rs 1.9 lakh cash and 5,000 Indonesian Rupiah. The seizure came after the NCB questioned Anuj Keshwani.
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On Sunday, NCB carried out a raid in Khar and seized banned narcotics after questioning Anuj Keshwani. “Keshwani’s name had come up during the interrogation of Kaizan Ibrahim. The quantity of LSD that has been recovered is commercial quantity under the NDPS Act,” said M A Jain, NCB deputy director. NCB sources said that Ebrahim had disclosed that Keshwani was his supplier for the contraband.

When asked about actor Rhea Chakraborty’s questioning in connection with the drug case linked to her late boyfriend, actor Sushant Singh Rajput, and the outcome, Jain did not comment on it.

In the morning, Sameer Wankhede, NCB joint director, and other officers served a summon to Rhea at her Santacruz residence asking her to join the probe. She arrived at 12 pm at the NCB office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai. Sources said she was quizzed based on the findings from the interrogation of the arrested accused, including her brother Showik, about the supply of drugs and whether she ever consumed it.

The NCB has so far arrested eight people — Abbas Lakhani, Karan Arora, Zaid Vilatra, Basit Parihar, Ebrahim, Samuel Miranda, Showik and Dipesh Sawant, Rajput’s house manager. Sawant, in his ‘voluntary statement’ to NCB, said that on March 17, as per Showik’s instructions, he went with Miranda to receive the delivery of 0.5 gm doob/ganja/cannabis at Bandra from Viltara.

The remand application, signed by intelligence officer K Kiran Babu, filed in the court while seeking Sawant’s custody till September 9, stated: “On April 17, Rhea and her brother Showik ordered him [Sawant] to receive a delivery of 10 gm charas from Kaizan Ibrahim near Mount Blanc building [Rajput’s building]. Through WhatsApp chat on May 1, Showik asked him to receive ganja from one Dwayne and also shared with him his contact number. On May 2, he also received 50 gm charas from Dwayne. In the first week of June, he received 100 gm ganja from a delivery boy of Rishikesh Pawar.” It further read, “Therefore, it is clear from his statement and the electronic evidence gathered by NCB that he is an active member of a drug syndicate connected with high society personalities and drug suppliers.”

Rhea’s lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, issued a statement on her behalf, which said: “Rhea is ready for arrest as this is a witch hunt and if loving someone is a crime, she will face the consequences of her love. Being innocent, she has not approached any court for anticipatory bail in all the cases foisted by Bihar police now with CBI, ED and NCB.” In a related development, CBI questioned Meetu Singh, Rajput’s sister, on Sunday.
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PTI (BOMBAY TIMES; September 7, 2020)

Rhea Chakraborty, who appeared before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) yesterday for questioning in the drugs case linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has been summoned today as well. The 28-year-old actress, who arrived at the agency’s office in the Ballard Estate area at noon yesterday, was grilled for about six hours.

The agency has said it wants to question Rhea to take the probe forward in the case. A team of the agency had visited her home yesterday morning to serve summons to her for joining the probe, officials said.

Rhea, in interviews given to several TV news channels, has said that she has never consumed drugs herself. She had, however, claimed that the late actor used to consume marijuana. The NCB, over the last two days, has arrested her younger brother Showik Chakraborty (24), Sushant’s former house manager Samuel Miranda (33) and Deepesh Sawant, a member of the actor’s personal staff, in this case.

Various angles surrounding the death of the 34-year-old actor on June 14 are being probed by three federal agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Meanwhile, Sushant’s sister Meetu Singh reached the DRDO guest house on Sunday afternoon in connection with the CBI’s probe into the actor’s death, a police official said. Earlier in the day, Sushant’s business manager Shruti Modi, his talent manager Jaya Saha and cook Neeraj were also at the guest house, where the team carrying out the probe is stationed, he said.
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Ahmed Ali & Rebecca Samervel (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 6, 2020)

Mumbai: Sushant Singh Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau on Friday night, has reportedly confessed that he arranged marijuana for the late actor for nearly seven months through a friend of Rhea Chakraborty’s brother Showik.

On Saturday evening, the NCB also arrested Sushant’s cook Deepesh Sawant on charges of delivering drugs to him. Sawant will be produced in court on Sunday. Meanwhile, Rhea, Rajput’s girlfriend, is likely to be summoned to the NCB office on Sunday, said officials. “We want to meet Rhea in front of Showik and Samuel to find out if she had any role in pushing Sushant into drugs,” an official said. Showik and Samuel have been remanded in NCB’s custody till September 9.

In a statement, Rhea’s father Lt Col (retd) Indrajit Chakraborty said, “Congratulations India, you have arrested my son, I’m sure next in the line is my daughter, and I don’t know who is next thereafter. You have effectively demolished a middle-class family. But, of course, for the sake of justice everything is justified. Jai Hind.”
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The agency arrested Dipesh Sawant; sought Showik Chakraborty’s custody for joint questioning with the other accused; plans to question him jointly with sister Rhea too
Somendranath Sharma (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 6, 2020)

A day after the arrest of actor Rhea Chakraborty’s brother Showik Chakraborty and late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Rajput’s employee Deepesh Sawant under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Sawant was made to join the investigation on Friday night at 10 pm and was brought face-to-face with Showik and Miranda.

“On the basis of enough corroborative evidence, he has been placed under arrest and will be produced before the Esplanade Court at 11 am on Sunday. No one else has been issued summons by the NCB. Further investigation in the case is under way,” said Deputy Director of NCB, KPS Malhotra.

Meanwhile, Showik Chakraborty, Miranda and another arrested suspect, Kaizan Ebrahim, were produced before the court on Saturday afternoon. While Showik and Miranda were remanded to NCB custody till September 9, Ebrahim was remanded to judicial custody but later secured bail for a surety of Rs 10,000.

While seeking Showik’s and Miranda’s custody, the NCB told the court on Saturday that joint questioning of Showik and the other accused needs to be conducted. The agency said his thorough custodial interrogation is required to uncover the network of sellers and buyers of narcotic substances. In its remand application submitted before the court, the NCB stated that Showik also needs to be questioned jointly with his sister. “The idea of taking custody is to make people confront each other to clarify their individual roles. In due course, we will also ask Rhea to join the investigation,” said deputy director general of NCB, Ashok Jain.

Until now, seven arrests have been made in the drugs case arising out of Rajput’s death in June. On August 28, the NCB had apprehended Abbas Lakhani, 21, a resident of Bandra with 46 gm of marijuana. Abbas told the agency that he had purchased the drug from one Karan Arora, who was later apprehended with 13 gm of marijuana in his possession.

Based on disclosures by Lakhani and Arora, the residence of one Zaid Vilatra was searched and he was arrested on September 1. The agency recovered Rs 9,55,750 in cash and some foreign currency, which he disclosed as the proceeds of drug peddling. Vilatra runs a restaurant at Bandra, which he said was running into losses because of the lockdown.

A senior NCB official said Vilatra, during his voluntary statement, disclosed the name of one Abdel Basit Parihar, who after his arrest on September 3 revealed that he used to procure drugs from Vilatra and Ebrahim as per Showik’s instructions. “Parihar is an active member of a drug syndicate connected with high profile personalities and drug suppliers. He used to pay and receive money via credit cards and cash,” the official said, adding that no contraband was seized after raids on Showik’s and Miranda’s residences.

In court on Saturday, the NCB said the financial trail of all previous transactions from drug purchase has to be verified. On the basis of call data records and WhatsApp chats, the agency also needs to identify some other people “deeply entrenched in drug trafficking, which is a serious threat to public safety and health”.

Meanwhile, the CBI, which is probing Rajput’s death and alleged criminal conspiracy, surveyed his Bandra flat with forensic experts on Saturday. Officials also interviewed his sister Mitu Singh and some friends, including Siddharth Pithani. 

CBI to quiz his sister about conversation with his manager, where she is asking about his prescriptions
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; August 31, 2020)

After Rhea Chakraborty, Sushant Singh Rajput's house help, Deepesh Sawant, complained to the cops of harassment by certain media houses, whose journalists allegedly follow him everywhere. On Saturday, fed up of being followed, he went straight to the Chembur police and sought their help. They have assured him protection.

"We have taken cognizance of his complaint and appropriate security will be provided to him," a police officer from Chembur police station said.

Rhea had complained to the Santacruz police about the same reason, and the CBI requested them to provide her security whenever she is called for questioning.

The SIT of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) grilled main accused Rhea on the third consecutive day on Sunday for almost 9 hours at the DRDO guest house in Kalina. Her brother was also quizzed for the fourth time.

On Sunday the SIT also quizzed Shruti Modi, manager of Sushant; Rhea's house manager Samuel Miranda, and the actor's cook, Neeraj Singh. Miranda has told CBI that the actor was having financial issues and was planning to sell his belongings. Police said ahead of Modi's questioning, a chat between her and Sushant's sister, Mitu, surfaced, where she had asked Modi for Sushant's prescription and it was shared with her on WhatsApp. So far his family has claimed that they were never informed about his medical condition.

In the prescription, the doctor has prescribed medicines for depression, bipolar and anxiety. The chats surfaced the same day that CBI called Modi for questioning along with Rhea, Miranda and Singh. The family has maintained that they were never informed by Rhea about Sushant's health, but the chat between Modi and Mitu indicates that the prescription was shared with them on November 26, 2019.

Sister To Be Questioned
Sources have told mid-day that CBI will soon record the statement of Mitu, not only about those chats but also to get more clarity as to what transpired between June 8 and June 13 before she left Sushant's residence. Rhea, in her statement, has claimed that after she left Sushant's house on June 8, Mitu was with Sushant. On June 9 when Sushant messaged Rhea asking about her health (she had issues with anxiety), she blocked him on WhatsApp.

The CBI has questioned Rhea about leaving Sushant despite knowing that he was ill. The actress told the CBI that she left him because he wanted her to leave, and before leaving she ensured that his sister was with him.

Arya Arrives For Probe
Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya reached Mumbai on Sunday after being summoned by CBI to appear before the SIT on Monday. After his arrival in Mumbai he told the press, “I met Rhea in 2017 and have never met Sushant Singh Rajput. I am here to cooperate with the investigation agency.”

सुशांत के परिवार का कहना है कि उन्हें इस बात कि कोई जानकारी नहीं थी कि सुशांत मनोवैज्ञानिक डाक्टरों से सलाह ले रहे हैं। फिर नवंबर 2019 के इस व्वाटसएंप चैट से परिवार का दावा गलत साबित होता है। क्या सुशांत मामले में हर कोई लुकाछिपी खेल रहा है। #SushantSinghRajput #RheaChakroborty pic.twitter.com/2gZeCoLkIa

— Ajay Kumar (@AjayKumarJourno) August 30, 2020

Vijay V Singh (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 30, 2020)

Mumbai: The CBI questioned actor Rhea Chakraborty for the second day on Saturday as part of its inquiry into the suicide of her boyfriend, Sushant Singh Rajput.

A policeman escorted Chakraborty from her home to the DRDO guest house that has been converted into the CBI temporary office.

Chakraborty had asked for the police escort to avoid mediapersons, who she said had been aggressive when she or her family stepped out of their homes.

On Friday, the CBI had questioned Chakraborty for around 10 hours. It is learnt that the CBI is gathering information about Chakraborty and her brother Showik’s personal equations and business transactions with Rajput.

They are trying to ascertain if anything in particular had upset the actor enough to lead to his death and whether there was any conspiracy.

The CBI had questioned Rajput’s friend Siddharth Pithani and three house staff members, Neeraj Singh, Deepesh Sawant and Keshav Bachner, for a week. The CBI also questioned Samuel Miranda, Rajput’s house manager reportedly appointed by Chakraborty.

Rajput’s family had filed an abetment to suicide case against Chakraborty.

ED shares findings with central agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau; actor’s lawyer denies allegations, says she is ready for a blood test
Abhishek Sharan (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 26, 2020)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating the money-laundering aspect of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has allegedly found evidence of communication between the late actor’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and individual/s suspected to be part of a narcotics-peddling network, according to ED sources.

The ED has shared its findings with central agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau, for an inquiry into whether the communications were linked to purchase of narcotics for personal consumption or distribution, the sources said.

Chakraborty’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde denied the allegations and told Mirror on Tuesday: “Rhea has never consumed drugs in her life. Ever. She is ready for a blood test.”

Rajput’s body was found hanging at his Bandra residence on June 14 by four people, including one of his friends and staffers.

The ED has already registered a case against six people, including Chakraborty, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on a Bihar police case of July 25. The Bihar case was registered following a complaint by Rajput’s father, KK Singh, who accused the six of abetment to suicide and breach of trust. Chakraborty has already been questioned twice in connection with the case.

Rajput’s father K K Singh had accused Chakraborty and others of attempting to control his life and finances.

Chakraborty’s legal team had earlier denied all allegations levelled against her by Rajput’s father in his complaint to the Bihar police as “nonsense, afterthought and totally concocted for ulterior purposes”.

“Rhea denies all allegations of abetment to suicide, misappropriation of funds…” it said.

The team said Chakraborty would like the “truth” to be revealed following a “fair and impartial investigation”.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also conducting a probe into the Rajput case after it took over the investigation from Bihar police, as ordered by the Centre.

The agency on Tuesday interviewed Rajput’s friend, former staffers and chartered accountant and accountant at the DRDO guesthouse, Santacruz, to reconstruct the incidents leading to the actor’s death and the state of his finances, agency sources said. The agency has been seeking details from staffers/former staffers Neeraj Singh, Deepesh Sawant and his friend Siddharth Pithani to understand what transpired at Rajput’s flat on June 14, when his body was found hanging, and the day before, June 13. A Mumbai police team, which had conducted an Accidental Death Report inquiry in the case, also met CBI officials at the guesthouse.

According to sources, Rajput had asked Pithani, who has done a course in film and video communication, to be a part of his ‘150 Dreams’ project, which sought to undertake philanthropic activities. Pithani was meant to handle videography and editing for audio-visual contents for the project, the sources said.

Among those interviewed was also Rajput’s former house manager, Samuel Miranda. The agency is verifying if a SIM card used by Rajput was procured using Miranda’s ID.
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The city police had earlier found that Sushant was taking drugs and his cook Neeraj Singh had mentioned it in his statement
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; August 26, 2020)

Some crucial details shared by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), after going through actress Rhea Chakraborty's WhatsApp chats, are pointing towards possible drug dealings. The information was shared with the CBI as well on Monday. Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) summoned two Bandra Police officers, who were part of the city police team investigating the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case, for questioning.

'Looking Into Details'
Confirming the same, NCB DG, Rakesh Asthana said they were looking into the drug angle, as ED had shared some specific details with them. However, Asthana refused to divulge more details about the possible drug links. "We have received some details based on Rhea Chakraborty's WhatsApp chats, which points towards possible drug dealings. They are being looked into," said another NCB officer.

The city police had earlier found that Sushant was taking drugs and his cook Neeraj Singh had mentioned it in his statement. "After details related to drugs emerged, we inquired about it and one of the key witnesses confirmed that he prepared doses for the actor," a senior city police officer said.

However, CBI continued with its investigation on the fifth day and grilled key witnesses Neeraj Singh (cook), Deepesh Sawant (house help) and Siddharth Pithani (flat mate). Apart from this, chartered accountant Sandeep Shridhar was also questioned by SIT based on the financial angle of the case.

Meanwhile, the central agency also summoned investigation officer of Bandra police station, Bhushan Belnekar and sub-inspector Vaibhav Jagtap for questioning. Belnekar was investigating the case under section 174 of Code of Criminal Procedure and had recorded statements of more than 50 people. On June 14, he along with his team had visited the Mount Blanc building where Sushant was found dead. Jagtap was also present and he later took the body to Cooper Hospital in an ambulance.

A Proper Summons?
According to sources, the CBI team will record their statements for more clarity on what happened on June 14. They would be asked some specific questions regarding the spot panchama. "If the agency feels that some facts have been suppressed by the officer, they can call for questioning, and sometimes it's a routine practice. If it is a proper summon in this case, it means the agency is suspicious about something," said PK Jain, former ADG, Maharashtra Police.


The CBI team, along with forensic experts, had visited SSR's house to recreate the incident that led to his death. File pic

Vijay V Singh (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 26, 2020)

Mumbai: CBI on Tuesday questioned late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s chartered accountant (CA) Sandeep Sridhar. The agency also summoned the Bandra police inspector and a sub-inspector, who had probed the actor’s alleged suicide, for questioning. However, one of the officers is recovering from Coronavirus and another is in quarantine. The CBI has collected most of the relevant material from the Bandra police for examination, including Rajput’s mobile phones, laptop, and his diary.

The agency continued questioning Rajput’s friend Siddharth Pithani, and his staff members Neeraj Singh, Deepesh Sawant and Keshav Bachner. The four were in the apartment when the alleged suicide took place. They had called a locksmith to break open Rajput’s room. On Tuesday, the CBI again visited Cooper Hospital and questioned the doctors who conducted the post-mortem. A CBI official also visited the office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is conducting a money laundering investigation in connection with the actor’s death. The ED had examined Rhea, her family members and Rajput’s staff members as part of the probe.

ED officials claimed to have found some information not relevant to the money laundering probe while examining some of their cellphones. The officials said they have passed it on to the agencies concerned to decide if the same should be pursued.

Rajput was found dead in his apartment at Bandra (West) on June 14 and his family members have accused Rhea, her family and close associates. They have also alleged Rs 15 crore was siphoned off from the actor’s account, which the ED is probing. 

After it emerged that Salian's phone was active after her death, city police deny any foul play
Faizan Khan, Samiullah Khan (MID-DAY; August 25, 2020)

The mobile bill of Sushant Singh Rajput's former manager Disha Salian has revealed that her phone was used after the actor's death on June 15 and 17. A call was received on it and the Internet was used which subsequently raised questions of links to the actor's death. However, senior Mumbai police officers said that Malvani police had activated the phone during their investigation and maintained that there is no foul play involved.

The CBI team investigating Sushant's death visited Waterstones Hotel in Marol, where the actor stayed for two months last year to hunt for evidence and CCTV footage.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) also continued to grill key witnesses in the case for the fourth consecutive day. Siddharth Pithani, Neeraj Singh, Deepesh Sawant and another cook, Keshav Bachner, who was present on June 14, the day Sushant allegedly committed suicide, were questioned on Monday. Sources said Bachner had been out of the city and the SIT may visit the flat in Bandra again with the four witnesses.

The team at Waterstones Hotel spent several hours questioning people connected to the case. Rhea Chakraborty had taken Sushant to the resort and introduced him to self-proclaimed spiritual healer Mohan Joshi. Earlier, Joshi had issued a video statement saying, "I have been healing people spiritually for 38 years. In Sushant's case, I was contacted by Rhea for spiritual healing and I visited them once at the club where I prayed for him. The next day I was told that he was doing very well and had smiled after many days, so I was invited for lunch. This is how I met them twice and yes, I was told that he suffering from depression."

Spiritual Healer May Be Quizzed
Joshi is likely to be questioned by CBI soon. The priority for the agency is to collect evidence and understand what exactly happened inside the club as Sushant's family, in their complaint, alleged that he had disconnected from the world while at the resort and that they suspect black magic to be involved.

With regard to the activation of Salian's phone, a senior IPS officer told mid-day, "Her phone was activated by the police for investigation in the presence of Salian's fiancé, Rohan Roy and other senior officers of Malvani police. It was only done for the purpose of investigation and there is no conspiracy to it." The phone was activated by police to probe for links between Salian's and Sushant's deaths.

There were reports that Rhea Chakraborty and her family will be summoned by the CBI. However, Rhea's lawyer Satish Maneshinde issued a statement saying, "Rhea & Fly have not received any summons from CBI so far to attend. No sooner she receives it, she & fly will attend as they did before Mumbai Police and ED as law abiding citizens (sic)."
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Abhishek Sharan (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 25, 2020)

The CBI team investigating the death of Sushant Singh Rajput on Monday collected details from an Andheri hotel where the late actor allegedly stayed for a few weeks. The agency is also likely to examine Rajput’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty over the allegations made against her by the late actor’s family.

The agency is verifying allegations levelled by Rajput’s father, K K Singh, that his son stayed at the hotel at a time when Chakraborty and other accused were attempting to take control of his life and finances. Singh, on whose complaint the Bihar police had registered a first information report on July 25 against six people on charges related to abetment to suicide and criminal conspiracy, had alleged that his son had stayed at the hotel after leaving his rental flat on the ground that it was “haunted”, sources said.

Singh alleged that his son was brainwashed into believing that the “haunted” house was having a negative effect on him, and that he was asked to visit a counsellor. The agency is seeking to establish as to when exactly Rajput stayed there, if at all, and if he had taken counselling from a spiritual healer, the sources said. An agency team interviewed hotel staff as part of the probe.

The team also interviewed Rajput’s friend and former staffers at the DRDO guesthouse to reconstruct the incidents leading to the actor’s death at his residence in Bandra, the sources said.

The agency has been seeking details from staffers Neeraj Singh, Deepesh Sawant and Rajat Mewati and his friend Siddharth Pithani to understand what transpired at Rajput’s flat on June 14, when his body was found hanging, and the day before, on June 13. Singh, Sawant and Pithani were among the four that were there at Rajput’s flat on the day of the incident.

The agency is also seeking to ascertain if Rajput’s medical papers are all intact, the sources said. The CBI is verifying if the actor had stopped taking his medicines in March, as per claims. It is also examining all aspects related to the actor’s autopsy at a government-run hospital on June 14, and has met the personnel associated with the exercise. The autopsy report allegedly did not cite the probable time of the death and the last meal based on the contents of the stomach, the sources said.

The three staffers were asked about the incidents of June 8, when Rajput’s girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty, a case accused, left the flat. According to Rajput’s father’s complaint to the Bihar police on July 25, Rajput wanted to move to Coorg to do organic farming, but Chakraborty was against the idea.

Chakraborty has denied all allegations and clarified that it was Rajput who had requested her to go to her parents’ for some time, as his sister was expected to come on June 8.

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.

Actor, who was close to signing Rs 14 crore contract, went into a shell after aide's suicide on June 8, say investigators
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; June 18, 2020)

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who allegedly committed suicide on Sunday, had cleared all his debts, paid his servants and manager and told them that he won't be able to provide for them going forward due to financial reasons."

One of Rajput's managers has told Bandra police that Rajput made the payments three days before his death. A similar statement was given by a close servant of Rajput's. According to the statement, the servant had told Rajput, "Aapne humara humesha dhyaan rakha hai, aap aise mat boliye, humlog kuchh na kuchh kar lenge."

Sources said that such statements do suggest financial difficulties which Rajput might have been facing as he did not have enough projects. "He was about to get a contract worth Rs 14 crore for a web series with the help of his former manager, Disha Salian, who also committed suicide on June 8," said a source.

The manager told police that Rajput was already depressed and Salian's death exacerbated it. He did not speak to anyone and would stay by himself in his room. However, officers investigation Salian's death told mid-day that they have not found details of any upcoming project as of now. "As per our investigation, Salian and Rajput spoke to each other twice in March on WhatsApp regarding some project. After that there was no conversation between them," a senior officer said on condition of anonymity.

On the other hand, Bandra police have found that Rajput had stopped taking his medicines for depression after he started feeling better around 45 days ago. "We have only taken primary details from the doctor, a detailed statement has not been recorded. It will be recorded soon. As of now, there are no claims of financial issues by the family," an officer from Bandra police said.

On Wednesday, the Bandra police recorded the statement of casting director Mukesh Chhabra, a close friend of the actor. Chhabra said in his statement that he was no aware of Rajput having been depressed. "He was a very intelligent actor and a very reserved person. He never shared his personal details with me and that's why I am not aware that he was in depression. I am not aware which films were taken away from him or whether he turned them down," Chhabra told police in his statement.

Cops scan journals
During a search of the house, Bandra police found several documents, including five journals the actor used to write in daily. Officers are scanning the journals. The police also found a thank you note from the Nagaland government. Rajput had donated Rs 1.25 crore to the Nagaland Chief Minister's Relief Fund in 2018 to help with flood relief.

Project 151
Rajput's managers Siddharth Pithani and Deepesh Sawant told police that he had called them home in January as he wanted to finish his Project 151. Rajput had included many goals in the project which he wanted to achieve, such as playing cricket with M S Dhoni, tennis with Roger Federer, flying a plane to raise money for charity. Police also found that he wanted to send kids to NASA under the project.

"He was very optimistic about his dream project. Sometimes he used to feel very sad that he won't be able to send kids to NASA," one of Rajput's servants said in a statement.