SSR case: Police says written complaint wasn't filed in February
What's the story
In fresh developments in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, the late actor's father, KK Singh has claimed he had informed the Mumbai Police about a plausible threat to his son's life in February this year, but the cops didn't act on it.
However, Mumbai cops have refuted his claims.
Meanwhile, the Bihar government has recommended a CBI probe in the matter.
Here's more.
Backstory
Sushant passed away by alleged suicide in June
On June 14, Sushant, widely considered amongst the most promising young actors in Bollywood, was found dead at his apartment in Mumbai. He was 34. The Mumbai Police had termed it a case of suicide.
The actor had been suffering from clinical depression, purported medical reports have suggested.
Currently, two separate investigations, by Mumbai Police and Bihar Police, are being carried out.
Statement
In fresh statement, Singh accused Mumbai Police of inaction
In a video statement, released yesterday, Singh claimed he had alerted Mumbai Police in February that Sushant was in danger, but no action was taken.
"On February 25, I informed Bandra Police that he's in danger. He died on June 14 and I asked them to act against people named in my earlier complaint. No action was taken even after that," he alleged.
Twitter Post
You can watch the clip here
I had alerted the @MumbaiPolice on Feb 25 that my son Sushant's life is in danger but they sat on it and took no action. On June 14 my son lost his life: KK Singh(father of #SushantSinghRajput) @bhavatoshsingh @priyanktripathi @siddhantvm @Swamy39 @yadavtejashwi @nishikant_dubey pic.twitter.com/QqEmoeqmCZ
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay07) August 3, 2020
Response
No written complaint was filed in February: Mumbai Police
However, in a press release on August 3, the Mumbai Police refuted Singh's claims, saying that written complaint in this regard wasn't filed in February.
But they acknowledged that Sushant's brother-in-law, IPS officer OP Singh, had sent some messages to a Mumbai Police officer, who had, in turn, requested the former to register a formal complaint about the matter.
Press release
'Singh wanted to resolve matter informally, it wasn't possible'
"The then DCP Zone 9 had called Sh. OP Singh and requested him that a written complaint is mandatory for any inquiry or action. However, Mr. Singh wanted this to be resolved informally, to which the then DCP Zone 9 clearly told him that it was not possible," Mumbai Police said.
Earlier, Mumbai Police asserted that Sushant's family didn't raise suspicion about their investigation.
Probe
Mumbai Police has questioned 56 people thus far
Meanwhile, as part of its investigation, the Mumbai Police has thus far recorded statements of 56 people, the city's Police Commissioner, Param Bir Singh said in a media briefing yesterday.
Citing the evidence recovered by cops, he also revealed that Sushant had been suffering from bipolar disorder and was undergoing treatment for it.
Further, he had searched items like "painless death" on Internet.
ED action
ED questioned Sushant's CA, will question Rhea's CA next
Separately, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has interrogated Sandeep Shridhar, Sushant's Chartered Accountant. They reportedly sought information about Sushant's financial transactions, bank details and income tax returns.
ED officials have now summoned Sushant's alleged girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty's CA Ritesh Shah for questioning.
Notably, ED has filed a money laundering case on the basis of an FIR filed by the Bihar Police.
CBI inquiry
And now, Bihar government has recommended CBI probe
In another major development, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has recommended a CBI probe in the matter, shortly after Singh requested for it on a phone call to him.
It is imperative to note that countless fans as well as some politicians, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, have been demanding a CBI inquiry in this case for over a month now.
Suicide helpline
If you are feeling suicidal, please seek help
In case you need help or know someone who does, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Their number is 022 2754 6669 (24 hours).
You can also contact the Hyderabad-based Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +918322252525.
Sneha India Foundation, which works 24X7, can be contacted at +914424640050.
Vandrevala Foundation has trained counselors, and their number is 18602662345.