Sushant's ex-business partner Varun Mathur summoned; ED grills Rhea's Billiards pro friend

In the latest development, sources have informed Republic TV that Sushant Singh Rajput's former business partner Varun Mathur has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to the ongoing probe in the financial angle of the actor's death. 

The ED summoned Sushant's partner Varun Mathur who was a part of the first entrepreneurial ventures Sushant had launched in 2018. The company, Innsaei Ventures Private Ltd, where Sushant Singh Rajput, Varun Mathur, and Saurabh Mishra are directors was incorporated on April 26, 2018.

The ED, on Tuesday, grilled Goa-based businessman Gaurav Arya - whose name appeared in WhatsApp chats related to drugs with Rhea Chakraborty which was accessed by Republic TV earlier, for over eight hours. As per sources, Gaurav Arya's phone has been scanned and cloned by ED officials in search of any communication related to drugs. 

READ | Sushant Singh Rajput Listed Innsaei Ventures' 3-yr Plan In 17 Notes; Why Did Company Shut?

Innsaei Ventures - a 'first of its kind in Indian market'

Sushant Singh Rajput's handwritten notes, which were exclusively accessed by Republic Media Network earlier, revealed the extent to which Sushant was involved in making of his firm Innsaei Ventures Pvt Ltd.  The firm which he co-founded along with entrepreneur Varun Mathur in 2018 came into limelight after his death. On LinkedIn, the firm is described as a "first of its kind" in the Indian market that will tap into the growing Intellectual Property ownership market in India followed by the global markets. It further adds that Innsaei will initially focus its energies on four segments namely -- Content and Communication, Health and Holistic Wellness, Education & Learning and Business Incubation powered by emerging technologies from the realm of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, etc. 

However, the company shut shop in 2019 for unknown reasons, despite Sushant having a clearly stated three-year plan for it. He instead then launched a company in tandem with Rhea Chakraborty and Showik Chakraborty, and even allegedly paid their share for its incorporation. The full extent of its activities are unknown, though it is known that the company's website was shut down on August 7 right when Rhea Chakraborty was summoned by ED for the first time and that it had hosted email ids of Sushant and Showik. 

READ | Rhea Chakraborty's Brother Showik Named By Drug Peddler In NCB Custody: Sources

National Level Billiards Player grilled by ED

The ED on Tuesday also grilled national-level Billiards player Rishabh Thakkar for eight hours. He is said to be a friend of Rhea Chakraborty and resides in Mumbai's Juhu. His connection with the case is as-yet unknown.

Probe in Sushant case

Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his house in Mumbai's Bandra on June 14. Initially, his death was claimed to be a suicide with Mumbai Police's autopsy report stating that there was no foul play. However, numerous lapses came to light as Republic TV investigated the case and Sushant's father filed the first FIR accusing Sushant's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty for abetment of Suicide. Soon after, the Enforcement Directorate registered a case of money laundering and interrogated Rhea and other 4 people named in the FIR. ED's investigation unearthed a narcotics angle in the case, with the Narcotics Control Bureau registering another case in the matter, probing the drug nexus in Bollywood and particularly with Rhea and Sushant. 

READ | Sushant's Case: NCB Hands Over List Of 18 People Active In Drug Network To Mumbai Police

Previously, the Supreme Court gave a nod for a CBI probe in the death case of Sushant Singh Rajput after massive demand for the same across the country. CBI team has pointed out procedural and technical lapses in Mumbai cops investigation and is also along with an AIIMS forensic team analysing the homicide angle. Republic TV's own newsbreaks have soundly challenged the suicide theory in the case, and also brought out deep inconsistencies and incongruencies in the accounts of the key players involved.

Republic had also earlier accessed bank details of Sushant Singh Rajput which showed that huge expenses had been borne by him for Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik. An ED note posted by Sushant Singh Rajput's family alleged that Rhea had worked closely with Samuel Miranda. In her interviews, Rhea has claimed that the spending was Sushant's will and that she hadn't siphoned off any money, especially not the Rs 15 crore as alleged by KK Singh.

READ | Siddharth Pithani Tells CBI 'Rhea Shopped A Lot On Sushant's Card; Sold Household Items'