Bihar legislators across party lines on Monday demanded a CBI probe into the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The Bihar legislature session was held at Patna’s Gyan Bhawan for just a day due to the surging COVID-19 numbers in the state.
The BJP MLA Neeraj Kumar Singh ‘Bablu’, a cousin of the deceased actor, first raised the issue and demanded a probe by the central agency.
“It is evident from news reports that Mumbai police is trying to put hurdles in investigation of the case by the Bihar police team who are currently in Mumbai…so the State government should hand over the case to CBI,” Mr Singh said.
He cited the fact that an IPS officer from Bihar was “forcibly quarantined” soon after he reached Mumbai for investigation into the case.
His wife Nutan Singh, a BJP MLC, also raised the issue in the Legislative Council.
Later, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said his Rashtriya Janata Dal was first to have demanded a CBI probe into the case. Mr. Yadav also requested State government to name the upcoming film city at Rajgir after the deceased actor. Similarly, Congress Legislature Party leader Sadanand Singh suggested that a resolution be passed in support of the demand for a CBI inquiry. Lok Janshakti Party leader Raju Tiwari and others echoed the demand.
Earlier while entering Assembly, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar condemned the quarantining of the State police official.
“The State DGP has informed me about the developments…he will speak with the authorities there but whatever has happened with a police official in Bihar is not proper,” said Mr. Kumar. Asked would he speak to his Maharashtra counterpart on the issue, he added, “It is not a political issue…this is a legal responsibility of Bihar police and they’re carrying out their duty,” he added.
Bihar Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey had tweeted: “IPS officer Vinay Tiwari reached Mumbai today on official duty to lead the police team there but he has been forcibly quarantined by BMC [Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ] officials at 11 p.m. (on August 2),”
“He (Mr Tiwari) was not even provided accommodation at IPS mess there despite request and was staying in a guest house in Goregaon,” added Mr. Pandey who earlier had announced that Bihar police would trace those guilty in the case.
“The Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case has gradually become a tug of war between Bihar and Maharahstra and their police officials which is very unfortunate for the investigation of the case,” a senior police official told The Hindu.
Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s body was found hanging in his flat in Bandra in Mumbai on June 14. Later, on July 25 his father K.K. Singh had lodged a case at the Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna against Rhea Chkaraborty and five others in the case under different sections of IPC which included abetment of suicide and cheating.