Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray has moved the Bombay High Court, seeking the opportunity to be heard before any order is passed in a public interest litigation (PIL) related to the deaths of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and his former manager Disha Salian. The PIL, filed by the ‘Supreme Court & High Court Litigants Association of India’ through its president, Rashid Khan Pathan, in September this year, demanded the immediate arrest and custodial interrogation of Thackeray in connection with the “mysterious” deaths of Disha Salian and Sushant Singh Rajput.
As of now, the PIL has not been scheduled for a hearing by the Bombay High Court.
In response to the PIL, Thackeray’s legal representative, Mr. Arote, stated, “We have filed an intervention application, asserting the need for us to be heard before any order is passed. We have contended that the PIL is not maintainable since the investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput matter is already being conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). How can any order be passed in a PIL when state machinery is already engaged in the probe?”
The PIL had sought a direction for the CBI to investigate Thackeray, a former Maharashtra minister, and requested the submission of a comprehensive probe report.
Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his suburban Bandra apartment on June 14, 2020. Initially, the Mumbai police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) case and initiated a probe. However, in July, Rajput’s father lodged a complaint with the Bihar police, alleging that Rajput’s girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty, and her family members had abetted his suicide. Subsequently, the case was transferred to the CBI, which is presently conducting an investigation in Mumbai. In addition, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing allegations of money laundering against Rhea and her family, and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is looking into claims that Rhea was involved in drug consumption and supply to Rajput.
