Debashish Karmakar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; July 29, 2020)

Patna: Actress Rhea Chakraborty has been booked for allegedly abetting her actor friend Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide.

Sushant’s father, K K Singh, lodged a case against Rhea on Saturday, Patna SSP Upendra Kumar Sharma told TOI on Tuesday. The actor had allegedly hanged himself at his Bandra flat on June 14.

In the FIR, Singh has accused Rhea of “unlawfully confining Sushant, criminal breach of trust and abetting suicide”.

Sharma said a four-member Patna police team has reached Mumbai to collect relevant documents from Mumbai police. “Sushant’s father has urged Patna police to investigate the case, alleging Mumbai police was not conducting the probe properly,” the SSP said. In the six-page FIR, a copy of which is with TOI, Singh has accused Rhea, her family and associates of cheating his son for financial gain by keeping him confined and under pressure, which finally led to his death. He has also alleged that Rhea had told Sushant to work in only those films in which she gets the female lead.

“Rhea got him shifted to a resort after he got close to her. She told him his house was haunted. She used to tell him he needed treatment for mental health,” Singh alleged in the FIR. “Rhea later got him shifted to her residence in Mumbai where Sushant was given an overdose of medicines. She informed everyone Sushant was suffering from dengue, which he never had,” he alleged.

He further alleged that Rhea and her family kept Sushant’s cellphone, and replaced his trusted staff. “Sushant had said on several occasions they wanted to put him in a mental asylum. A sum of Rs 15 crore was transferred from one of his bank accounts,” Singh alleged.

Singh also said Sushant wanted to leave the film industry and shift to Coorg to start organic farming but Rhea stopped him.

Sushant’s father also alleged that Rhea left his residence with a laptop, cash, jewellery, credit cards and documents related to his treatment on June 8 after she sensed his bank balance had diminished. “After his former manager Disha Salian’s suicide, Sushant feared that Rhea might get him implicated in the case. It was Rhea who had got Disha hired for Sushant,” Singh alleged.

Singh said he tried to talk to Sushant on multiple occasions but was not allowed.

When contacted, Rhea’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde said, “A second FIR on the same set of facts is not legal and we will question its legality. Police is questioning people and conducting a probe in connection with an FIR in connection with his death already in Mumbai.” (Inputs by Swati Deshpande)
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Patna FIR begs the question: what line of investigation has Mumbai police been chasing? The complete 7-page FIR filed by Sushant’s father Krishna Kishore Rajput
Vallabh Ozarkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 29, 2020)

My son Sushant Singh was, till May 2019, doing very well in the acting profession. During this time, a woman named Rhea Chakraborty, with the help of her family members and other associates, forged an acquaintance with my son Sushant. She wanted to use Sushant’s contacts to establish herself in the acting profession and also to claim crores of rupees that Sushant had earned.

As part of this conspiracy Rhea along with her family members Indrajit Chakraborty, Sandhya Chakraborty, and Shouvik Chakraborty developed a close relationship with Sushant and started interfering in his day-to-day life. They also convinced him that his house was haunted and that affected my son. They made him leave that house and put him up at a resort near Mumbai Airport. They also repeatedly told my son that he was talking absurd and said they’ll get him treated by a doctor.

In the middle of this, my daughter went to Mumbai to try and bring Sushant back home, but these people did not allow Sushant to leave Mumbai, after which my daughter returned empty-handed.

Rhea then brought Sushant to her house, and started to overdose him on medicines. She told everyone that Sushant was suffering from dengue but the truth is he was never diagnosed with dengue. They took complete control of Sushant and everything that belonged to him. His interactions with us reduced drastically. Even his phone used to be with Rhea or her family members. Rhea ensured a rider in the films that were offered to Sushant that he’ll work in them only if she was paired as a lead actress opposite him. She changed his old staff and replaced it with people of her choice, and took away his credit cards and controlled his bank accounts.

My son’s first phone number – 9324398079 – was disconnected at the behest of Rhea and her family members, and they gave him a new phone number – 9820800308 – on which sometimes I would speak to him. He once told me that these people wanted to put him in a mental asylum. On one occasion, when Sushant went to Delhi and Haryana to meet my daughters, Rhea would repeatedly call him and ask him to return to Mumbai.

In fact, my son Sushant wanted to quit the film line to settle down in Coorg, where he wanted to get involved in farming. His friend Mahesh was ready to go with him, but Rhea objected to his plan. She threatened him saying if you don’t do what I say, I’ll hand over your medical reports to the media and prove you are an insane person.

When Rhea realised that Sushant was adamant, and that he was of no use to her, and also the fact that his bank balance had reduced to a great extent, she on 8-6-2020 left Sushant’s house with a lot of things, including cash and jewellery, his laptop, credit cards and the passwords, other important documents, and blocked his number. Sushant called up my daughter and told her that Rhea may get him framed.

He told my daughter that Rhea had threatened to make his medical documents public, which will prove he was insane, after which he will not get any work.

After this on 8/9-6-2020 Disha – whom Rhea herself had appointed as Sushant’s manager on a temporary basis—committed suicide. My son got scared and he tried to contact Rhea. He was worried that he will be framed in the matter. My daughter reached Sushant and stayed with him for three or four days, counseled him, and left for her home. My son killed himself on 14-06-2020.

Rhea, along with her family members and aides, cheated my son, committed fraud, and kept him confined. They forced my son to commit suicide and I pray that the following aspects be probed:

1: My son had no mental health issues till 2019. How did these crop up suddenly after he met Rhea?

2: If he was indeed suffering from such an ailment, why were we not contacted? Why was a no-objection letter from us for his treatment not sought?

3: We suspect the doctors who were treating my son at Rhea’s behest were also involved in the conspiracy. We demand to know what was the line of the treatment and what medicines were prescribed to Sushant.

4: If Rhea knew that Sushant was not well, why did she break off with him and block him? This is the reason he committed suicide.

5: After going through my son’s bank account details, I realised that he had around Rs 17 crore in his account number 1011972591, out of which Rs 15 crore were transferred into accounts that had nothing to do with him. We demand a probe into all bank accounts and credit cards my son had and how much money has been used.

6: Before this episode Sushant had a credible name in the acting profession. Why is it that after Rhea came in his life he stopped getting movies?

7: My son wanted to settle down in Coorg as a farmer but Rhea objected and threatened to finish him off. We demand a probe into this.

I tried to contact Sushant on several occasions, but being based in Patna, couldn’t travel to Mumbai regularly. But Rhea and her family members blocked my attempts. I’m 74 years old, and I realise that the Mumbai Police, instead of bringing the main culprits to book, are investigating those who have little to do with this case. I pray that my complaint be looked into, and a SIT be set up to probe this.

After Sushant Singh Rajput's kin indicate that Shekhar Suman is gaining political mileage from star's death, the actor claims RJD presser was to seek support for CBI inquiry
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; July 3, 2020)

Earlier this week, actor Shekhar Suman visited Sushant Singh Rajput's family in Patna, following it up with a strategically-timed press conference with the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav. The move did not go down well with the Rajput family, who accused him of politicising the actor's death.

Back in Mumbai after the visit, Suman is taken aback that his intentions are being questioned. "It's idiotic that people think I have ulterior motives," says the veteran actor-host, who had bonded with Rajput during Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4 in 2010.

On June 23, Suman launched Justice For Sushant Forum to demand a CBI inquiry into the actor's death. He states that his Patna trip was to "muster support" for the online initiative. Why did he feel the need to conduct a press conference with Yadav? "It was to further the cause of the CBI inquiry. Political support can help. I also wanted to call on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, but due to Coronavirus restrictions, the meeting could not be held."

A section of Singh's fans have alleged that Suman is furthering his political ambitions through the episode. "Just because Bihar goes to the polls in October, people are assuming that I have vested interests," rues Suman, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election from the Patna Sahib constituency. "Over the years, I have got feelers to enter the fray, but I turned them down. I will seek support from leaders of different parties for the forum."

He empathises with the late actor's father K K Singh. "I can relate to his grief, I have also lost a child [elder son Ayush]. If his family is upset with me, they are being misguided, or there has been a misunderstanding. Most people shed tears on Twitter and move on after a tragedy. I don't want to."


Suman with RJD's Tejashwi Yadav

HINDUSTAN TIMES (June 19, 2020)

Sushant Singh Rajput’s sudden demise has caused a lot of uproar among fans and the industry. While the Mumbai Police is said to be investigating the cause behind Rajput’s suicide, his father and his sisters have recorded a statement with the police saying they don’t suspect foul play. His father, in his statement, also added that Rajput often felt low. However, he wasn’t aware that he was depressed and was being treated for the same.

Rajput’s sister, Shweta Singh Kirti, also took to Facebook to pen a heartfelt note about her late brother. “Mera baby, mera Babu mera Bachcha is not physically present with us anymore and it is ok I know u were in a lot of pain and I know u were a fighter and u were bravely fighting it. Sorry mera Sona sorry for all the pain u had to go through if I could I would hav taken all ur pain and given all my happiness to u... (sic),” she wrote.

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

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

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

Avijit Ghosh (THE TIMES OF INDIA; June 15, 2020)

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who brought a riveting vitality to his performances in films like ‘Kai Po Che’, ‘M S Dhoni - The Untold Story’ and ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’, was found dead at his Bandra residence on Sunday. The 34-year-old actor’s Bollywood career barely stretched to seven years. But his impact and imprint were distinct, even as a person. In a tweet, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan recalled his support during Kerala floods.

A highlight of Sushant’s acting career was the way he recreated the MS Dhoni persona for the 2016 biopic. The former cricket captain is one of the most ‘watched’ Indians in the country. Unable to reproduce the same gait or style of play would have made the performance feel hollow. But Sushant rose to the challenge.

Dhoni’s railway colleague Deepak Singh, who spent several days with Sushant during the film’s shooting at Kharagpur, was gobsmacked by what he saw. “The way he was emulating every mannerism of Dhoni, right from his batting stance, the helicopter shot and running between the wickets…he was a perfectionist,” he recalled.

Sushant also impressed with his interpretation of Bengali writer Saradindu Bandopadhyay’s detective protagonist, Byomkesh Bakshy. To prepare for the part, he would move incognito from Lalbazar to China Town to Bosepukur in Kolkata. Those involved with the project remember how he would drop at a roadside tea stall and observe how “Bengalis loved to sit cross-legged with the right leg perched atop the left one”.

Director Arindam Sil, who was the film’s line producer, said, “Initially, I wasn’t too convinced because of his height and smallish face. But (director) Dibakar (Banerjee) asked me to wait and see how he looks like the character…He fit into the character so well.”

Three more roles stand out in his short career: Sarfaraz, the intense Pakistani lover of an Indian girl, in the Aamir Khan blockbuster ‘PK’; the sacrificing Muslim porter of ‘Kedarnath’, and the father in ‘Chhichhore’ (2019), who redefines the idea of a winner to his son and brings him back from the brink.

Yet a career in cinema wasn’t his first choice. A bright student from Patna’s St Karen’s High School — he won a national physics Olympiad contest — he was ranked 7th in AIEEE. An astronomy enthusiast, he took admission in Delhi College of Engineering in 2003.

Chunnu Singh, a cousin, said the family settled in Delhi after the death of his mother in Patna in 2002. “His father Kamal Kishore Singh, a retired government employee, stayed with Sushant in Delhi when he went there for higher studies,” he said. But Sushant never finished the course. He first joined Shiamak Davar’s dance troupe and later Barry John’s drama classes. Success in television came in the role of a mechanic in ‘Pavitra Rishta’. His energy was more noticeable in dance shows like ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’, which paved the path for Bollywood.

On the Bollywood firmament, Sushant flashed like a meteor. He had so much more to offer.

(Inputs from Mohua Das in Mumbai, Ramashankar & Faryal Rumi in Patna, Amaghna Banerjee & Sujay Khanra in Kolkata & Kharagpur, Priyanka Dasgupta)

Sushant Singh Rajput on seeking small budget films to produce
Upala KBR (DNA; November 15, 2016)

Sushant Singh Rajput is turning producer. The actor is on the hunt for good, small budget films and short films to support.

Not alone
The actor confirms, “Yes, I plan to set up a system for it. I will ask producers with small-budget scripts who don’t have money to produce films for digital platforms. I like reading new scripts and if something sticks in my head, I will back it. I will have another person on board who will be implementing this.”

Using fame
He adds, “I can afford to back the small budget films with good content because I have the means to do so. I realise things can get very deceptive. So for now, I am using my fame for producing content.”

It’s personal
What’s the aim behind supporting and marketing films with good content? Sushant says, “It has nothing to do with good, bad or mediocre films, but it’s something very personal. It had to do with what happened during my growing-up years. We were a big family of seven with my parents — my four sisters and me. Dad was the only one earning and that’s why every decision we used to make, money was one of the deciding factors. I realised that money was a very important issue very early in my life. While we were not poor, it was a criteria for deciding anything.”

Making money irrelevant
He adds that he was too young to earn then. “I couldn’t possibly earn at that time, so it seemed so unfair... That incident stayed with me throughout and I started detesting money for some reason. I said to myself, if this is the deal, I will make sure money becomes irrelevant in my life. Then, engineering happened and my inclination towards the performing arts developed. I don’t have much money, but it’s enough to not think about it even for 24 hours a day. Today, I have made it irrelevant, but that doesn’t mean it is irrelevant for others too. If I can help someone make a film, why not? I wanted to start with films, so if there’s anything any filmmaker has which I can relate to, I will sponsor the making of the film.”