Published 18:35 IST, October 7th 2020
'Dr Sudhir Gupta saw Sushant's photo and said strangulation': Vikas Singh's shock reveal
Sushant Singh Rajput's family's lawyer Vikas Singh made an absolutely sensational revelation in a press conference he had called for on Wednesday evening
Sushant Singh Rajput's family's lawyer Vikas Singh made an absolutely sensational revelation in a press conference he had called on Wednesday evening, wherein he revealed that the AIIMS forensics head, Dr Sudhir Gupta, had told him upon seeing Sushant Singh Rajput's post-death photos that it was strangulation and could not have been death by hanging.
"Dr Sudhir Gupta had met me a year back. His lawyer was a very senior lawyer [Mr Sharan], we were in the same chamber. When he [Mr Sharan] died, Dr Gupta approached me to look after his legal matters, and we kept in touch. And so, even before the case [Sushant's case] was referred to him by CBI he was always questioning the way Cooper Hospital has functioned in this matter," he said.
He continued with his most explosive statement yet- "And when I sent him photos taken by Sushant's sister he immediately commented it's death by strangulation and it can't be death by hanging." Vikas Singh put things into context, saying, "But if a person can make such a casual comment and then immediately upturn it, then what credibility can be assigned to this person."
"Cooper had done several informities, such as post-mortem in night, no record of injuries," he said, listing more.
Vikas Singh had earlier in the day written to the CBI for a fresh medical board to be constituted. He stated his expectations, saying, "AIIMS didn't have Sushant's body; their job wasn't to conduct an autopsy; they were to provide opinion on Cooper's work; to decide whether it was suicide was for the police. Death by hanging needn't be suicide."
"We've written to CBI director to look into Cooper report & whether it can be sustained & whether the death can be called by hanging or by murder, both cases it'll probably be asphyxiation, but hanging needn't be suicide," he reiterated.
This press conference comes on the back of Dr Sudhir Gupta selectively leaking to certain media that Sushant's death had been due to suicide, following his submission of the forensic report as sought from him by the CBI team investigating Sushant Singh Rajput's death. On Sunday, Republic was the first to reveal that Dr Sudhir Gupta had on August 22, a day after being referred the case by the CBI, that he was of the view that the crime scene had been contaminated or destroyed to such a point that it was not fit for forensic evaluation of any sanctity. WhatsApp chats of Dr Sudhir Gupta from even had seen him raising numerous questions about Cooper Hospital's lapses while conducting its autopsy.
Interestingly, Vikas Singh had earlier also claimed that a top AIIMS doctor had looked at Sushant Singh Rajput's photos on his death and said '200%' it's strangulation. It was revealed by Vikas Singh in the presser that it was the same Dr Sudhir Gupta to whom he was referring.
Updated 20:10 IST, October 7th 2020