IMAGE: Sushant Singh Rajput with Rhea Chakraborty in happier times. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rhea Chakraborty/Instagram
Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty on Wednesday, July 29, moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of an FIR from Patna to Mumbai and the stay on the investigation by the Bihar police after Sushant Singh Rajput’s father alleged she had abetted his actor son’s suicide.
Sushant, aged 34, was found hanging from the ceiling of his apartment in Bandra, north west Mumbai, on June 14. The Mumbai police has been probing the case since his death.
Rhea’s move to approach the apex court assumes significance after a four-member Bihar police team arrived in Mumbai.
They may seek to interrogate Rhea as the FIR lodged at Patna by Rajput’s father K K Singh contained allegations of severe criminal offences such as abetment of suicide and criminal breach of trust under the Indian Penal Code.
Satish Maneshinde, the well-known lawyer who is representing Rhea, said he has filed a petition in the apex court seeking transfer of the case from Patna to Mumbai where a police probe into Sushant’s suicide is going on.
In her plea, Rhea sought a stay on the Bihar police probe based on the FIR lodged by Sushant’s father till disposal of her plea in the apex court, Maneshinde said.
The move came four days after K K Singh lodged an FIR at the Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna against Rhea and six others, including her family members, accusing them of abetting his son’s suicide.
The case, in which the Mumbai police has been busy quizzing Bollywood producers and directors like Mahesh Bhatt, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Aditya Chopra and others to know the reasons behind the actor’s untimely demise, took a new turn with Sushant’s father lodging the FIR against his rumoured actor girlfriend Rhea.
Rhea has already made a statement before the Mumbai police.
K K Singh, on July 25, lodged the FIR under various sections of the IPC including Section 306 (abetment of suicide), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 380 (theft in dwelling house), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property).