Published 13:43 IST, August 18th 2020
Rhea Chakraborty launches vicious attack on Sushant's family in lawyer's lengthy monologue
Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer Satish Maneshende released statement attacking Sushant Singh Rajput's family and the media in a lengthy note amid the case.
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Rhea Chakraborty’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde has released a statement amid the ongoing investigation against the actor by various institutions related to Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The advocate termed the allegations against the actor as ‘concocted’ and that the FIR registered against her at Patna was done with ‘ulterior motives’. He also claimed that Rhea was co-operating with all the authorities, even requesting the Supreme Court for a CBI probe in the death, and that her complaint was against the registration of the FIR by Bihar Police, something he claimed should be transferred to Mumbai Police. This was accompanied by a massive attack on Sushant Singh Rajput's family.
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Rhea’s lawyer releases statement
Rhea’s lawyer Satish Maishende claimed that she has given statements and submitted all documents as asked by the SC, Mumbai Police and ED.
He called the registeration of the FIR by the father as an ‘afterthought’, questioning why they had kept silent for 40 days. The advocate went on to allege improper behaviour on Rhea by Sushant’s sister Priyanka, and claimed that this incident had ‘strained’ the equation between Rhea with the family. This also led to her being excluded from the list of attendees for Sushant’s last rites, he claimed.
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Maneshende also claimed Rhea battled anxiety issues and that she requested Sushant to be able to meet her family after attending one such session with a therapist. He claimed that though Rhea was keen to meet Sushant’s family, Sushant himself asked her to leave before his sister arrived. So she decided to leave on June 8, and told him she would be to there to help him if need be.
Hitting out at the media for the 'unsubstantiated claims', he termed the case as 'politics more than truth'. Maneshende also denied any links with Maharashtra MLA-Minister Aaditya Thackeray and actor Dino Morea, who have both released clarification statements that they were not associated with Sushant’s death at all, despite not being asked to do so.
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Here’s the full one-sided statement
Rhea is the daughter of an Indian Army Surgeon and a Maharashtrian House Wife. She has been summoned by Mumbai police a State of Maharashtra Agency and Enforcement Directorate a Union of India Agency on several dates for inquiry , investigations and gathering electronic evidence. She has appeared on all the appointed dates when ever summoned as a law abiding citizen. Both the agencies have investigated her relationship with SSR and her financial status at great length.
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The Mumbai Police , and ED have collected all Electronic, Forensic and Medical including DNA evidence in the case. Bank Statements, Income Tax Returns , CCTV , CDR and Electronic Data are with both agencies. Till today nothing incriminating has been found against her. The Investigation Report of the Police is lying with the Supreme Court in a Sealed Cover. Even if Rhea is to be investigated by a third agency , she will face it. Thankfully in this Electronic Age nothing can be concocted or manufactured. Media is requested not to speculate its own theories and make unsubstantiated claims. She has remained silent to such allegations. Her silence should not be mistaken for a weakness. Truth will remain the same.
Rhea and Sushant were known to each other over the past several years as they were both working in the Indian Film Industry. Rhea and Sushant had maintained a cordial friendship and would occasionally communicate with each other. In April 2019, Rhea and Sushant had attended a party hosted by the film fraternity and shortly thereafter they began dating each other. Even though they spent a lot of time in each other’s homes , they officially moved in together in December 2019 and live at Mount Blanc, Bandra, till Rhea left on the 8th of June 2020.
It is total nonsense and an afterthought to make allegations after a period of 40 days , the manner in which it has been made before Bihar Police. No allegations whatsoever were made till 27th July 2020 by any body in the family before the Mumbai Police or to any authority. Their statements were recorded by police in Mumbai. They are educated and have an IPS officer OP Singh in the family. The allegations are totally concocted and fabricated for ulterior purposes. Rhea denies all allegations of abetment of suicide , misappropriation of funds and others or otherwise. Both the Mumbai Police and the Enforcement Directorate have been handed over all of Rhea’s financial documents which clearly show the falsity of such allegations. She has not received a single transfer from Sushants Accounts. All her Income Tax Returns have been examined by Police as well as ED. Neither of them have found anything incriminating against
In the initial months of their relationship, when Rhea had visited Sushant’s house , his sister Priyanka and her husband Siddharth were living with him. On one night, in and around April 2019, Rhea and Priyanka had gone out to a party. Priyanka consumed copious amounts of alcohol and was behaving inappropriately with men as well as women at that party. So, Rhea insisted that they return to Sushant’s home. Upon returning, Sushant and his sister continued drinking alcohol while Rhea retired for the night as she had a shoot the next morning. Rhea was asleep in Sushant’s room when she suddenly awoke to find Priyanka had got into bed with her and was groping her. Rhea was extremely shocked and demanded that she leave the room immediately. Subsequently, Rhea herself left the house. Thereafter, Rhea informed Sushant as to what had transpired and Sushant got into an argument with his sister regarding the same. That due to the aforesaid incident, the relationship between Sushant’s family and Rhea had been strained since inception. Even after his death when a list of 20 people was made to attend the Funeral, Rheas name was not included in the list and hence excluded from attending the Funeral.
Sushant had been calling his family, informing them of his decision to move out of Mumbai and requesting them to come meet him. After several days of Sushant calling and crying over the phone, his sister Meethu agreed to come live with him on 8th of June 2020. Due to this development, Sushant requested Rhea to live with her parents for the time being. Rhea had been suffering from her own anxiety issues and often endured panic attacks. Sushant’s conduct also aggravated these conditions. Even though Rhea was desirous of seeing her family, she was not at all comfortable with leaving Sushant. The very same day,8th June 2020, Rhea had arranged to have a therapy session of her own with Dr. Susan Walker and requested Sushant if she could leave after the session. However, Sushant told her to leave immediately before his sister Meethu arrived. Thus Rhea reluctantly left and informed Sushant to let her or her brother know about anything he required or in case he needed to talk.
Rhea has always maintained that she would like the truth of the matter to be revealed by virtue of a fair and impartial investigation. She has admitted in her Petition to the SC that she sent a Message to Amit Shah Union HM to order a CBI investigation. She has also informed the SC that if the Court Transfers it to CBI she had no objection. What she has challenged is the Illegal Registration and Investigation of Bihar Police without Jurisdiction and transfer to CBI of an illegal investigation. Unless the Maharashtra Govt Consents to a CBI investigation , the Case cannot be transferred to CBI. Instead the Bihar Govt ought to have transferred the investigation to Mumbai Police as per the Notification issued by the Union Government. The very foundation of the Federal Structure is at stake by the present actions for Bihar Govt.
Rhea and her family has so far cooperated with the Enforcement Directorate.
As per law, the Bihar Police ought to have registered a 0 FIR and transferred the investigation to the Mumbai Police. The Bihar Police has no Jurisdiction to investigate the case. Rhea will not submit to an illegal investigation. There were various reasons that made my client apprehensive about the nature of the investigation that would be conducted by the Bihar Police. The Bihar Police registered the FIR on the same day that the complaint was received , despite a delay of over 40 days. The Bihar Police arrived in Mumbai without ever summoning my client to cooperate with their investigation. There were several newspaper articles quoting the advocate of the complainant as having stated that the Bihar Police were hesitant to register the FIR but did so at the behest of the political leadership in Bihar. My Client has not shied away from cooperating with any investigating agency till date, but she is entitled to a fair and impartial investigation by an agency which has Jurisdiction to investigate the Case. The manner in which the proceedings were instituted and being conducted in Bihar made it appear unlikely that she would receive a fair treatment.
The comments made at the last hearing before the Hon’ble Supreme Court on the 11th of August 2020, make it evident that this has become more about politics than the truth. Unwanted and irrelevant submissions are being made. The number of Politicians taking advantage of this case on the eve of elections in Bihar .
Rhea does not know and has never met Aaditya Thackeray till today. Neither has she ever spoken to him telephonically or otherwise. Though she has heard of him as a leader of the Shiv Sena.
She knows and has met Dino Morea socially as he is her Senior in the Film Industry.
13:43 IST, August 18th 2020