After Shekhar sends statement via email, cops call him for more clarity

Shekhar Kapoor

IN a statement sent to the Bandra police on email, director Shekhar Kapoor has not named anyone, even though he had claimed in his June 15 tweet that he knew the people, who apparently were the reason behind actor Sushant Singh Rajput going into depression. According to sources, the cops are considering his statement in Rajput's alleged suicide case but they have also asked him to be present at the police station for more details.

Following Kapoor's tweet, the state government had asked the Bandra police to probe the angle of professional rivalry. He had tweeted, "I knew the pain you were going through. I knew the story of the people that let you down so bad that you would weep on my shoulder. I wish I was around the last 6 months. I wish you had reached out to me. What happened to you was their Karma. Not yours. #SushantSinghRajput." Kapoor was summoned on June 29 for his statement but as he is not in Mumbai, he sent a detailed statement to the cops through email.

'We've summoned him'

Confirming the development, a senior officer said, "We have summoned him to come and record his statement based on his tweet, which he posted a day after the actor's death. He has sent some details via email, which we are considering but we need more clarity and a detailed statement. It will be recorded after he returns to the city."

In his statement, Kapoor has spoken about the film Pani, which got shelved in 2015 after Yash Raj Films backed out as the producer. "He hasn't named anybody but has said that Sushant worked really hard for the film, which got shelved due to creative differences between him and Yash Raj Films," an officer said. "He also said that Sushant was totally devastated after that and this could be the reason why he was battling depression but he never discussed it," the officer added.

The cop further said, "We have asked him to be physically present before the investigating officer. The investigation is at a crucial stage and we want to understand on what basis such claims are being made. We need to question people based on the details available with us."

'Film got shelved'

According to the director's statement, he met Rajput for the first time at Yash Raj Studios in 2014 after which they started working on the film Pani, which had a R150-crore budget and was to be completed in the next two to three years. However, Yash Raj Films backed out in 2015 due to creative differences after spending more than R5 crore on the project. Sushant was supposed to play the part of Gora in the film and he had worked very hard for it.

Kapoor also said that due to the project they became good friends and the actor used to talk about his life and quantum physics with him. He would also discuss the details of the character with him. After the project got shelved, he was totally devastated. Though Kapoor spoke to other production houses to get the film rolling but in some cases the budget was high and some didn't agree to take a risk with Sushant in the lead role. However, Kapoor said that he wasn't aware how Sushant went into depression, as he went to London and was not in touch with him since the past couple of months.

Meanwhile, the cops have also reached out to actress Kangana Ranaut. "We have taken cognisance of the video she posted after the actor's death. We are trying to reach out to her but she is currently not in Mumbai," a senior officer told mid-day.

Were gadgets given late to FSL?

On Wednesday, the Bandra police submitted Rajput's electronic gadgets to Kalina Forensic Lab almost 24 days after his death. According to sources, the FSL had received the samples six days back but they had to return them because the police had checked the mobile phone and laptop. However, the cops submitted them again on Wednesday saying that they checked the gadgets for some lead in the investigation. "The gadgets are supposed to be submitted to the FSL the way they are recovered from the crime scene but sometimes we do check for some primary details," an officer said.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news