Waiting a Year For Justice to SSR

Bhubaneswar (Pramit Pramathes Satpathy): Exactly a year ago, Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his apartment in Mumbai. What followed after the tragic incident was a trail filled with fake news, rumours and a lot of noise. Today one year later, as we observe his death anniversary, here’s a looking back at the timeline of events that happened after his demise.

June 14, 2020: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra apartment. A domestic help informed the police and a preliminary set of investigations followed. Condolences started pouring in as the news of the actor’s death shocks the nation fighting the pandemic.

June 15, 2020: Sushant Singh Rajput’s last rites was performed at Pawan Hans crematorium. Sushant’s brother-in-law OP Singh demands a probe into the incident as he suspects foul play.

June 18, 2020: Sushant Singh Rajput’s former girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty recorded her statement at Bandra Police Station in the death case.

June 24, 2020: SSR’s postmortem report was released, stating that “no struggle marks or external injuries” were found on the actor’s body.

July 29 2020: SSR’s father lodged an FIR at Patna’s Rajiv Nagar police station accusing six people of abetment to suicide. On the same day, Rhea Chakraborty moves the Supreme Court demanding the transfer of investigation to Mumbai. Bihar Police later arrives in Mumbai and a play of jurisdiction follows between the police of two states.

July 30, 2020: Enforcement Directorate seeks the details of SSR death case from Bihar police.

August 4, 2020: The Bihar government recommends CBI probe into the case.

August 5, 2020: Union government accepted recommendation for CBI enquiry.

August 6, 2020: CBI named Rhea Chakraborty, her father Indrajit Chakraborty, mother Sandhya Chakraborty, brother Showik Chkaraborty, Sushant’s house manager Samuel Miranda, Shruti Modi and unknown others in its FIR. They were charged under various IPC sections including abetment to suicide, criminal conspiracy, wrongful restraint/confinement, theft and criminal breach of trust.

August 19, 2020: Supreme Court ordered CBI enquiry into the case. CBI formally took over the investigation.

August 26, 2020: Narcotics Control Bureau registered a case against Rhea Chakraborty on the basis of an ED request. Drug angle in SSR death case started getting probed.

August 28, 2020: Rhea Chakraborty appeared before CBI. The agency interrogated the actress for over seven hours.

September 4, 2020: NCB arrested Rhea Chakraborty’s brother Showik and SSR’s house manager Samuel Miranda following which a Mumbai court sent them to judicial custody till Sept 9 2020.

September 8, 2020: NCB arrested Rhea Chakraborty after three days of interrogations.

October 5, 2020:  AIIMS Medical Board submitted its report to CBI in the actor’s death case, ruling out murder and categorically stating that the actor died by suicide.

October 8, 2020: Rhea Chakraborty walked out of Byculla jail after four weeks on a bail.

February 2, 2021: Narcotics Control Bureau said that it was yet to file the charge sheet into the case.

February 15, 2021: Bombay High Court quashed the case filed by Rhea Chakraborty against SSR’s sister Meetu Singh, in which the actress had alleged that the late actor’s sister procured fake prescriptions to help her brother fight anxiety issues.

May 28 2021: Sushant Singh Rajput’s flatmate Sidharth Pithani got arrested by NCB in the drug case related to the actor’s death. The CBI is yet to file its charge sheet in the late actor’s death case.

The ‘Reporters Today Family’ backs the bereaved family and hope for early justice to the most talented and raising star of Bollywood.