Published 12:19 IST, August 21st 2020
CBI to question Sushant's self-proclaimed 'friend' Sandip Ssingh, day after Cooper tapes
The self-proclaimed friend of Sushant Singh Rajput, Sandip Ssingh, will be questioned by the CBI which landed on Thursday evening to carry forward the probe.
In a breaking development, self-proclaimed 'close friend' of Sushant Singh Rajput, Sandip Ssingh will be questioned by the CBI which landed on Thursday evening to carry forward the investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. Sandip Ssingh, who claimed to be Sushant's close friend in his interview with Republic TV's Editor in Chief Arnab Goswami, had seemed inconsistent in his statements while narrating the scene on the Sushant's death, and had been questioned by members of Sushant's family and family friends who have been spoken to by Republic.
His presence on June 14 at the residence of Sushant after his death has raised suspicions as well. There have been several other incidents which raises suspicion on Sandip Ssingh, most notably in videos that have been accessed by Republic TV from the day of Sushant's death after Sandip Ssingh had been among the first to arrive at the flat and had purportedly taken control of the situation, despite the Mumbai police being on the spot. The family of Sushant has said they never heard of Sandip Ssingh before and have suspected his claim of being close to Sushant. For his part, Sandip had claimed that he hadn't been in touch with Sushant for the past year, and while visuals show him consoling Sushant's sister Meetu, they are not said to know each other. Visuals also appeared to show more than one stretcher at the scene.
The CBI team has got straight down to work after its arrival in Mumbai on Thursday night. It has already picked up Sushant's cook Neeraj, the case files from the Mumbai police, and will also speak to the DCP Zone 9 Paramjit Dahiya who had received a warning from Sushant's family on February 25, months before Sushant's death.
Why is Sandip Ssingh under suspicion?
When confronted by Arnab Goswami, Sandip Ssingh had said he was at his home before he came to know about Sushant’s death and rushed to his residence along with Mahesh Shetty, another friend of Sushant.
"I was at home because of Corona, and this thing. As soon as I heard the news, I got a call from Mahesh Shetty and he said he is coming to pick me up," he said while speaking with Arnab.
He even went on to provide the timing of when he got the news, saying, “It was around 2:15 or 2 o’clock.” However, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said Sandip was with him when he found out about the death. Sushant’s family friend Smita Parekh while speaking with Republic said nobody from the family knows Sandip Ssingh. Siddharth Pithani (flatmate of Sushant) told Smita that as soon after he entered the house on June 14, he actually started monitoring everything and was even giving instructions to Siddharth Pithani. “That is what is told to me by Pithani, ‘Ma’am as soon he came in the house, he started ordering us,” she said.
Sandip Ssingh was the one who allegedly decided to take the body to Cooper Hospital which is a private hospital as against the government hospital for post mortem, as per the protocol.
Besides, when questioned by Arnab Goswami, Sandip told there was one ambulance which was called by Police, however, there were two ambulances on the scene when investigated by Republic.
Apart from this, Choreographer and friend of Sushant Ganesh Hiwarkar while speaking with Republic revealed that he personally spoke with Sandip Ssingh's associate who gave him details of the party in which Disha Salian had died. He said six people visited Sushant's residence a day before his (Sushant's) death, out of which five were present at the party a week earlier, where Disha Salian had died.
"I know the names of all the six people," Hiwarkar said adding that Sandeep Ssingh's associate gave him the information.
When asked by Arnab Goswami if he was contacted by Mumbai Police for taking his statement in the regard, "Police has not contacted me yet" is what Hiwarkar said.
Updated 15:22 IST, August 21st 2020