New Delhi: In a fresh application filed before the Supreme Court Monday, actor Rhea Chakraborty, who is facing abetment to suicide charges in Sushant Singh Rajput death case, has accused the media of conducting an “unfair trial” against her.
She also accused the Bihar Police of usurping the jurisdiction of Mumbai Police to investigate the case, and sensationalising it under political pressure because assembly elections are due in that state.
Chakraborty claimed that TV channels have attempted to pronounce her guilty even though the police are yet to establish any foul play in Rajput’s death.
The Jalebi actor has sought the top court’s intervention to protect her from becoming a “scapegoat of political agendas”. Her application is likely to be heard Tuesday by the top court that will also take up her petition to transfer the criminal case registered against her in Patna to Mumbai.
Rajput’s father, meanwhile, has requested the court to dismiss Chakraborty’s case transfer plea, pointing out that she had herself requested Home Minister Amit Shah for a CBI inquiry into the case.
‘Media convicted accused in 2G, Talwar case in similar fashion’
Chakraborty’s application, filed through advocate Malak Manish Bhatt, said Rajput’s death by suicide, unfortunately, took place at a time when his home state Bihar was readying for elections.
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“This has led to the issue of suicide of deceased being isolated and blown out of proportion,” it read.
She also sought to draw the court’s attention to the recent cases of suicide by actors Ashutosh Bhakre, 32, and Sameer Sharma, 44, and said these did not garner similar attention as Rajput’s case did.
“In case of death of Rajput, chief minister of Bihar is reported to be responsible for registration of FIR in Patna,” her application claims.
Chakraborty also said media channels were examining and cross-examining witnesses, causing her extreme trauma.
“Media had convicted accused in 2G and Talwar case in similar fashion where each and every accused was later on found innocent by the courts,” the application said.
She also informed the court about the Enforcement Directorate’s notice to her and her questioning by the agency. Even though ED and the CBI register cases “at the drop of a hat”, the application noted, their investigation into financial scams worth crores “never see the light of day”.
‘Bihar Police usurped jurisdiction under political pressure’
Chakraborty also alleged that the Bihar Police misconstrued criminal laws under political pressure and wrongly usurped jurisdiction to probe the case.
Her application said neither did the offence take place in Bihar nor any consequences of the alleged crime had ensued there. In the absence of the two elements, the Bihar Police cannot assume jurisdiction over the suicide case, it added.
Residence of the first informant cannot be a ground to usurp the jurisdiction, Chakraborty maintained. She also asserted that jurisdiction of probe will continue to be under the Maharashtra administration, notwithstanding the transfer of the case to CBI.
‘CBI should have taken approval from Maharashtra govt’
On the CBI taking over the case, Chakraborty said she has no objections if the court allows it. She, however, said the CBI must submit itself to the jurisdiction of a Mumbai court and not Patna.
According to the case transfer order, the probe was handed over to the CBI for two reasons — sensitivity of the case and inter-state ramifications.
But the actress noted that “the concept of sensitivity” was “alien to criminal jurisprudence”. As for inter-state ramification, she said the offence, as alleged, is complete within the jurisdiction of Mumbai.
She also claimed that the case was given to the CBI to render her transfer petition infructuous.
That the ruling party in Bihar and the one leading the central government were the same, as well as the “fact that the said party was in minority” in Maharashtra was the reason the case was transferred to the CBI, Chakraborty alleged.
She also said the CBI should have taken an approval from the Maharashtra government before accepting Bihar’s recommendation to take over the probe.
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