Latching on to the AIIMS report that ruled out murder angle in actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday demanded apology from those who defamed Maharashtra over the episode.
Speaking to reporters here, Deshmukh cited an American university study in connection with the actors death case and added that its report reveals BJP hand in hyping the conspiracy theory.
BJP leader Pravin Darekar hit back at Deshmukh over his remarks on the Sushant case, and sought to know why is the NCP minister rushing to react when the CBI has not yet stated anything on the AIIMS report.
The medical board of the Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences' (AIIMS) last week ruled out murder in Rajput's death, and termed it "a case of hanging and death by suicide".
Deshmukh also asked BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who is the Bihar poll in-charge, whether he will campaign for former Bihar director general of police Gupteshwar Pandey who had defamed Maharashtra and Mumbai Police over the Sushant episode.
Pandey joined the JD(U) after taking voluntary retirement last month. It is being speculated that he will contest the October-November Bihar Assembly polls.
Pandey had called for a CBI probe into the actors death when the matter was being investigated by the Mumbai Police.
It has come to the fore through the media that the AIIMS and (Mumbai-based) Cooper Hospitals reports have said that there was no trace of poison in Rajputs viscera, Deshmukh said.
The home minister requested the CBI to disclose its findings into the death case.
Meanwhile, the Michigan University had reviewed this entire Sushant Singh episode and published its report.
"It has said in the report that the review of the case over the three-four months reveals BJP hand in hyping the conspiracy theory, Deshmukh alleged.
Deshmukh said a political party tried to give the episode a certain direction and defamed the Maharashtra of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
We have seen which party took the 'supari' (contract) for defaming Maharashtra, he said, without naming any outfit.
The minister said it was sad to see former Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis, who had also held the home portfolio between 2014 and 2019, claim that the Mumbai Police did not probe the Sushant matter properly.
Entire Maharashtra was battling COVID-19. At such a time, a conspiracy was hatched against Maharashtra. Maharashtra was defamed.
Going further, the party also made dance to its tune a puppet who is living in Maharashtra, but is from another state originally, Deshmukh said.
The minister smiled cryptically when asked who he meant by puppet.
It is believed he was referring to Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who hails from Himachal Pradesh.
...some parties defamed Maharashtra and Mumbai Police. They should apologise to Maharashtra or else the people of Maharashtra will not forgive them, he added.
The minister further said that the Maharashtra Cyber department will now probe who defamed the state in connection with the case on social media.
Talking to reporters in Pune, Darekar said, The AIIMS has already stated that the CBI should be referred the details of the report prepared by the institute.
"Despite this, Deshmukh has hurriedly reacted over it. Why is he in so much hurry?
"While probing the actor's death, central agencies such as the NCB and the CBI are also trying to find out if any (drug) racket exists (in film industry).
"Is Deshmukh trying to protect some drugs mafia? He should first answer this question before raising questions over Fadnavis (campaigning in Bihar), said the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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