Bihar government: Will oppose Rhea Chakraborty's plea in Supreme Court

Rhea Chakraborty

The Bihar government said on Friday that it will oppose a petition filed by actor Rhea Chakraborty in the Supreme Court, challenging the jurisdiction of the Patna Police in lodging an FIR (police case) in connection with the death of Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput and starting an investigation. Advocate General Lalit Kishore said the state will be represented before the Supreme Court by former Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi. "While we have made no prayer for being included as a party to the case filed by Rhea Chakraborty, we will oppose her petition since she has challenged the jurisdiction of the state of Bihar," Mr Kishore said.

He asserted that the matter fell very much within the jurisdiction of the state as the FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint filed by Sushant Rajput's father who resides in Patna. There have been many instances of cases being registered away from the site of an incident if links to the offence happen to be in the other place," the advocate general said.

He also scoffed at Rhea Chakraborty's contention that all cases in the matter be shifted to Mumbai and pointed out that the police in the western metropolis had reportedly not even lodged an FIR. "It is the Patna Police which lodged the first FIR in the matter. I wonder how the Mumbai Police intends to investigate a matter without registering a proper case," he said.

In his complaint, the actors father KK Singh accused Rhea Chakraborty, who is said to have been in a relationship with Sushant Rajput, of having "used his sons standing in Bollywood to promote her own career, trying to drive a wedge between him and his family, getting him fed with medicines for mental illness with the help of conniving doctors and blackmailing him with threats of making his medical history public to tarnish his reputation."

The bereaved father also alleged that "at least Rs 15 crore was withdrawn from his sons bank account to which Rhea Chakraborty and her family members had gained access to" and that barely a week before Sushant Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence, Rhea Chakraborty had allegedly "visited his house and stole his laptop, ATM card and other important documents."

On reports of non-cooperation from the Mumbai Police to a four-member police team from Patna which is in the city to probe the matter, the advocate general said, "If it is so, it is very unfortunate. It is normal practice for law enforcers to cooperate with visiting police teams from other states."

Mr Kishore said everyone in the country is bound by the Constitution to abide by an order that has been passed by the Supreme Court when he was asked whether the Bihar government would find it agreeable if the top court directs for clubbing all the cases and moving these to Mumbai or orders a CBI inquiry.

"The Maharashtra Home Minister has expressed his own opinion in the matter. Let us wait for a few days. The Supreme Court will come out with its order which will lend clarity," Mr Kishor said.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has opposed the need for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into Sushant Singh Rajput's death and said the Mumbai Polices probe was sufficient.

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