Rhea had on September 7 filed a complaint at Bandra Police station against Priyanka, Meetu, and a doctor from Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for allegedly getting the late actor psychiatric drugs without consultation (File photo)The Mumbai police Monday told the Bombay High Court that they were duty-bound to register First Information Report (FIR) against late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s sisters, Priyanka and Meetu, as the complaint filed against them by actor Rhea Chakraborty “disclosed commission of offence”. The CBI has opposed the FIR against Sushant’s sisters.
Facing probe by central agencies in connection with Sushant’s death on June 14, Rhea had on September 7 filed a complaint at Bandra Police station against Priyanka, Meetu, and a doctor from Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for allegedly getting the late actor psychiatric drugs without consultation and by using a forged prescription.
Supporting claims of Sushant’s sisters, the CBI had told the HC that Rhea’s accusation against Sushant’s sisters was “presumptive and speculative” and said such speculation cannot be on the basis of an FIR. Last week, Rhea sought that the plea filed by the two sisters to quash the FIR be dismissed.
The Mumbai police filed an affidavit and opposed the plea filed by Sushant’s sisters to quash the FIR. The police refuted allegations that they were damaging the reputation of petitioners or any deceased person and said they were not trying to “influence or derail” the CBI probe
“The FIR (against Priyanka and Meetu) was registered based on the information provided by the first informant (Rhea Chakraborty) disclosing commission of offence,” the affidavit said.
It further said: “According to informant (Rhea), the criminal conspiracy, the criminal conspiracy is obtaining fabricated prescription based on falsehood, may have led to administration of Psychotropic Substances without actual examination of Sushant Singh Rajput and may have caused and contributed in suicidal death of the actor.”
“This version of the informant disclosed cognisable offences warranting investigation and requiring no preliminary enquiry. Therefore, the Mumbai police were duty-bound to register the FIR,” the affidavit said.
The police said that after registration of FIR, they followed the order passed by the Supreme Court and referred to all documents pertaining to the FIR to the central agency, which is probing Rajput’s death case.
The Mumbai Police opposed CBI’s position in the case that they should not have registered an FIR in the case that was probed by the CBI: “The case being probed by the CBI is one registered by the deceased’s father in Bihar. On the other hand, the FIR lodged by the Mumbai police is by Rhea Chakraborty seeking investigation for forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy against Sushant Singh Rajput’s sisters Priyanka and Meetu and doctor Tarun Kumar,” the affidavit said.
The police said both the contentions of sisters and CBI opposing the registration of the FIR are completely devoid of merit and a police officer or state government cannot be faulted for abiding by the Supreme Court directions for transferring probe to CBI and said that despite both the cases are on Rajput’s death, the conspiracy alleged and version alleged in them are totally different.
The police concluded, “Now it is for CBI to investigate both the FIRs and to file appropriate reports in the same, after completion of investigation in accordance with law and as per directions of Supreme Court August 19 judgement.”
A division bench of Justice S S Shinde and Justice M S Karnik will hear the case on Wednesday, November 4.