NEW DELHI: BJP MLA Ram Kadam on Wednesday accused the former Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government of destroying evidence in the Sushant Singh Rajput case and urged the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing Disha Salian’s death to investigate Rajput’s case as well.
Kadam raised the demand in the Maharashtra Assembly days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted a closure report in the alleged suicide case of the Bollywood actor.
CBI files closure reports
CBI filed closure reports in two cases linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, saying no evidence was found to support claims of abetment to suicide or financial fraud, officials said on Saturday.
The CBI submitted the closure report in Patna concerning the complaint by Rajput’s father, K K Singh, which alleged that actor Rhea Chakraborty abetted his son’s suicide and misappropriated Rs 15 crore.
A separate closure report, linked to Chakraborty’s accusation that Rajput’s sisters provided him a bogus prescription, was filed before a special court in Mumbai. It is now up to the courts to either accept the reports or direct further investigation.
‘Evidence was destroyed’ – Kadam’s allegations
Kadam claimed that the case was handed over to the CBI 68 days after Rajput’s death and alleged that the Bihar police, which had registered a case, was not allowed to investigate.
“Sushant’s house was handed over to the owner after destroying evidence. The furniture was removed, and the house was painted. It should be probed whether this was done to destroy evidence. Why did this happen?” Kadam questioned.
Rajput (34) was found hanging at his Bandra apartment on June 14, 2020. His former manager, Disha Salian (28), died six days earlier after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Malad.
Kadam further called for an investigation into the alleged roles of Uddhav Thackeray and actor Rhea Chakraborty, who was Rajput’s girlfriend at the time. He urged the SIT to combine the two cases for a comprehensive probe.
Opposition walks out amid heated debate
Congress MLA Nana Patole objected to the discussion during an ongoing debate on the Constitution’s 75th anniversary. “The Assembly should function as per set norms,” Patole said before the opposition staged a walkout in protest.
Minister Shambhuraj Desai assured the House that “the guilty will not be spared” and confirmed that the SIT is investigating information provided by Disha’s father, Satish Salian.
Political crossfire over CBI and state’s role
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Varun Sardesai questioned whether the ruling BJP-NCP-Shiv Sena coalition was undermining the CBI. “The Sushant case is five years old, and for the last three years, you are in power in both the state and Centre,” he pointed out.
Desai, who served as Minister of State for Home under Uddhav Thackeray and now supports Eknath Shinde, denied any attempt to challenge the CBI’s findings.
Meanwhile, Disha Salian’s father has filed a complaint with the Joint Commissioner of Police in Mumbai, demanding a case against Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and others. He has also approached the Bombay High Court seeking a fresh investigation.
