Ramashankar | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 6, 2020)

Patna: A BJP poster campaign featuring a sepia-toned picture of Sushant Singh Rajput and seeking “justice” for the late actor has created a stir in pollbound Bihar. Around 30,000 posters and pamphlets have been printed by the party’s art and culture cell with the hashtag “#JusticeForSushant” and a slogan in Hindi, “Na bhoole hain, na bhoolne denge (we have neither forgotten, nor will we let anyone forget).”

BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said there was nothing political about the campaign even as the opposition RJD accused the party of milking the issue. “This is just meant to show solidarity with the departed actor’s family, which is waiting for justice,” Anand said.

RJD’s Mritunjay Tiwari claimed leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav was the first to demand a CBI probe into Sushant’s death, but was against flagging it for political reasons. “Kisi ki lash par rajniti nahi honi chahiye (there should not be politics over someone’s body),” he said.

Varun Singh, state convener of the BJP’s art and culture cell, said the demand for a CBI probe was first raised by his unit “only two days after Sushant’s body was found in his flat”. BJP’s art and culture cell has written to CM Nitish Kumar to name Rajiv Nagar Chowk in Patna and also the proposed film city at Rajgir in Nalanda after the actor. Almost every political party in Bihar has attached itself to Sushant, a Rajput. “The Rajputs are a force in around 40 constituencies of the state. There are 19 legislators from this caste in different political parties in the present assembly,” a senior Congress functionary said. 

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 30, 2020)

For the last few days, producer Sandip Ssingh is drawing a lot of attention in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, with allegations of foul play being levelled against him by social media users and TV channels reporting that he was planning to leave the country. While Sushant Singh Rajput’s family members have reportedly stated that they don’t know him, he was seen handling all the formalities at the hospital post Sushant’s demise and even made arrangements for the actor’s funeral.

Literally caught off guard, Sandip was seen dodging the cameras on Friday. Actor Shekhar Suman, who had started the Justice For Sushant Forum, speaks to BT about his equation with Sandip Ssingh. Excerpts:

Tell us about your equation with Sandip Ssingh...
He was the producer of Sanjay Dutt’s Bhoomi (2017). We spent a month shooting in Agra together. I have known him for longer than that, though it was off and on. He had contacted my son Adhyayan for a movie, which didn’t work out, but that is how it began. There was a professional relationship. Going by my equation with him, I felt he was a fun-loving guy who was totally engrossed with a lot of projects of his own, and he knew people and people knew him in the film industry. That was it. These recent developments have come as a huge surprise. Let the investigation go on and let’s see what happens. But before this, there was nothing abnormal or unusual about him that I noticed.

Did he ever mention to you that he was a close friend of Sushant?
No, he never mentioned anything, except once in a casual conversation, he had spoken about how Ranveer Singh got Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. He did mention that these films had gone to several actors and one of them was Sushant, who had turned them down. I asked him why Sushant would do that to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films. He said, ‘I don’t know, maybe he didn’t like the role or something.’ Why I remember this is because one would give an arm and a leg to work with that filmmaker. This was a casual chat and I really don’t know how close he was with Sushant or anyone else. Lately, he was planning another film with Sanjay Dutt called Blockbuster. We have had a couple of close friends chatting about it. He was excited about this project, which was to be produced by Anand Pandit. He would talk about this movie. In fact, I don’t think I had much of an interaction with him when he was making the film, PM Narendra Modi, though I used to read about the film in the newspapers.

So, how did both of you touch base again after Sushant’s death? You even visited Sushant’s family in Patna at their residence along with Sandip...
I saw him on TV, managing everything around Sushant. I didn’t want to call him right then, because I felt it wasn’t the right time to do that. I started tweeting about Sushant on my own. I interpreted his demise differently from day one. I felt there is more to it than meets the eye. I felt a different sort of a connection — he was a Bihari boy, people could barely make it to his funeral because of the Coronavirus situation and I am someone who has lost a son years ago. I wanted to meet Sushant’s father and share his grief. I have lived with my tragedy for years now and I haven’t been able to get over it. My family asked me why I was getting so involved, and that I should not go to Patna in the thick of the pandemic. I said to them, ‘Let me speak to Sandip, maybe he knows the family.’ I called him. That is the first time I asked him what had happened really and he said, ‘I will tell you later.’ I asked if there was a way to meet Sushant’s father K K Singh. Sandip told me that he was planning to go to Patna after the terahvi, post June 28. I said, ‘Fair enough. Can you please let them know that I will be coming, too?’ And that’s how we went. It would have been awkward to go just like that. In Patna, I stayed with my cousins at my maternal granny’s house and he stayed elsewhere. I think it was on June 29 that we went to Sushant’s house. We didn’t exchange words with the family. We just sat there for 10 minutes. I wanted to meet (Bihar Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar for some political support for my Justice For Sushant Forum. I remember Sandip had asked me, ‘Why do you want to go ahead with this forum?’ I had said, ‘I want to, because I feel there is foul play and I should fight for it, instead of looking the other way.’ No one was talking about it at that time. It was my battle and I was okay with it being that way. I again asked him what had happened. He said, ‘I think it is suicide.’ I didn’t delve further into it. I met Tejashwi Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal leader), since Nitish Kumar could not make it, and told him about the forum. Prior to this meeting, Sandip, in fact, had asked me if I wanted to get Sushant’s father on to it and I said, ‘No. Later, if he wants to, he can be a part of it.’ After the press conference with Tejashwi in Patna, I didn’t speak to Sandip. And then he got into the thick of things as they are now. You see, I knew Sushant as a co-competitor from a reality show in 2010. But that was it. He had not even joined films. He was in the transition phase. I remembered him as a sweet boy. I don’t think I ever met him again after that, but I did watch some of his films.

Sushant’s family and friends have been saying that they don’t know Sandip Ssingh. How did he then make arrangements for the Patna visit?
There is a contradiction in this. From the footage that I saw on TV, he was seen with his arm around Sushant’s grieving sister. It seemed that he knew the family. He had even taken Ankita (Lokhande) to meet his family, so obviously he knew them. Also, I think for him, it’s not a big deal. And, when we went to Patna, everything was arranged and his family knew I was coming over.

On Friday, Sandip ran from the scene when he saw TV cameras following him. Reportedly, he has been dodging cameras by changing his locations, and not going to the house where he lives. Why do you think he is doing this?
I have no idea. Maybe because of the pressure and the intense media trial; anyone would be scared, especially if one feels he or she is getting cornered. But if you are honest, you should just come out and speak. That goes for everyone who knows Sushant or has anything to say. There is no need to hide and avoid speaking up. I feel Sandip should just come out and speak his side of the story like he did earlier. Running away will only lead to more speculation as to what it is that he is hiding. The investigating agencies will eventually make people speak and they will have to answer. They should come out and say it anyway. There is nothing to fear if you have been honest and have done no wrong.

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