The Maharashtra government on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court decision to transfer the probe into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and promised cooperation from the State.
State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said, “We welcome the Supreme Court judgment of transferring the probe to the CBI and will surely cooperate with the probe team.”
Mr. Deshmukh said the top court in its judgment mentioned that the investigation carried out by the Mumbai police had no wrongdoing. “It is clear that investigation from the police was not flawed,” he said.
The Minister, however, added that the judgment also shows the need for experts in the Constitution and judiciary to initiate a discourse on the federal structure drawn in the Constitution.
The Mumbai police, in its affidavit in the Supreme Court, had highlighted the federal structure and argued that since the incidents related to the death of the actor had taken place in Mumbai, it was the prerogative of the local police to conduct the probe, and not of the Bihar Police to register an FIR.
‘Protecting people’
The BJP welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, but hit out at the ruling alliance in the State.
Ashish Shelar, BJP MLA and former president of the party’s Mumbai unit, said the verdict proved that the Mumbai Police protected people and hid facts while it was investigating the case.
He said, “The State government forced the Mumbai police to hide facts. At least now, it should cooperate with the CBI in its investigation. Otherwise, it will have to face the people’s anger.”
Mr. Shelar said, “Who did not let the Mumbai Police speak? While the police are bound by the law, who stopped the Mumbai Police in this case? Will the Maharashtra government take the responsibility for the hide and seek played by the Mumbai Police?”
BJP spokesperson Ram Kadam said the SC, in its order, did not give any importance to the submission made by the State government in the case. “The State government has failed in its responsibility. Now the truth will come out,” he said.