Mumbai top cop says late actor had met Disha for just once
The ongoing slugfest between the Bihar and Mumbai Police over the investigation into the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case assumed a new dimension on Monday as Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambar Singh went on record saying that he was “emotionally disturbed” after his ex-manager Disha Salian’s alleged suicide.
A day after Mumbai BJP general secretary and MLA Ameet Satam raised suspicions over Disha’s alleged suicide and indirectly linked the development with the actor, the Mumbai Police chief came clean on the issue by saying that the late actor was “emotionally disturbed” to see his name being linked with Disha.
Disha allegedly committed suicide by falling from the 14th floor of a building in Malad in Mumbai on June 8.
Talking to mediapersons, the city police chief said, “When the actor saw his name being linked to Disha Salian’s death in the social media, he was emotionally disturbed. He (Sushant) had met Disha Salian only once, he even asked his advocate who she was”.
Singh said that the actor was acutely conscious about what was being published, appearing about him in both the media and social media.
“Sushant would Google search for articles and his name to find out what was being written about him. He would also search for “painless death”, “schizophrenia and bipolar disorder’,” the police chief said.
The Mumbai Police chief’s clarification came after former Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis tore into the Uddhav Thackeray dispensation for quarantining an IAS officer from Bihar who is in Mumbai to investigate the actor’s suicide case.
“It is really very strange why the Maharashtra Government is coming under unnecessary suspicion by not allowing Bihar Police to perform their duties. Instead of solving the mystery of Sushant’s death, such behavior will only result into huge public outcry and disbelief amongst the people about the investigation,” Fadnavis said in two tweets.
Fadnavis charged that the Mumbai Police were adopting different yardsticks for police from different States and for different cases. “A medical team from Kerala visited Mumbai, UP Police came to investigate Vikas Dubey case, a team from the Bihar Police is already working in Mumbai since 4 days but none of them were quarantined then why only an SP rank officer is treated differently?,” the senior BJP leader asked.
Joining the issue, Fadnavis’ banker wife Amruta Fadnavis tweeted: “The manner in which Sushant death case is being handled - I feel Mumbai has lost humanity and is no more safe live for innocent self-respecting citizens”, with hashtags #JusticeForSushantSinghRajput and #JusticeForDishaSalian.
Meanwhile, contesting the allegations that the Mumbai police had not sealed the Bandra duplex flat where the actor ended his life, the Mumbai police chief said: “The flat was sealed on 14 June (the day of the suicide), the next day i.e., June 15, the forensic teams and doctors visited the flat. It was only after the visit of the forensic team and doctors that the flat was unsealed”.
Dismissing the allegations that a party was held in the flat on the night of June 13, the police chief said: “We have the CCTV footage of June 13 and 14”.
Maintaining that the Bandra police station had registered an Accident Death Report (ADR) in connection with the alleged suicide, Singh said the investigations were ongoing and “We have so far recorded the statements of 56 in connection with the incident. We are in touch with experts and doctors”.
Replying to a question, Singh said that all aspects were being probed. “We are looking into all aspects - whether it is damage to his film career, professional rivalry and financial issues,” he said.
In the first set of revelations relating to Sushants financial dealings, the city police chief said: “During our investigations it has come to light that Rs 4.5 crore was there in form of deposits of the Rs 18 crore that was once there in the account. We have recorded the statement of his current chartered accountant, former chartered accountant, we have checked the bank statements and ledger”.
In an FIR lodged with the Patna police against Sushant’s friend Rhea Chakraborty and her family members, the actor’s father KK Singh had alleged that his son’s bank account transaction history showed he had Rs 17 crore in one account, of which Rs 15 crore had been transferred to an account that had nothing to do with him and that Rhea had swindled money from his son. He also alleged that Rhea had left Sushant and took away his treatment papers, laptop, credit cards, jewellery and cash. He has also said that his son did not suffer from mental health issues before his relationship with Rhea.
“The Mumbai Police is investigating the case thoroughly, from all possible angles, including his family members, friends, doctors and others, besides the financial transactions details of Sushant’s bank accounts,” Singh said.
When his attention was drawn to the name of a prominent Maharashtra politician being hinted on social media, the city police chief said investigations have not shown any such thing.
Singh also said that the Mumbai Police had “initially recorded” the statements of the family members. “The statements of father, sister and brother-in law were recorded on June 16. At that time, they neither raised any suspicion nor complained about any lapse in our probe. They have, however, not responded to requests later on.
“Sushant Singh Rajput’s sister and brother-in-law met our joint commissioner of police. They wanted to go to the Pune bungalow in Pawna area…We have ensured that and an assistant commissioner of police accompanied them,” Singh said.
