In Sushant case, CBI issues statement post Republic's AIIMS tape; 'homicide' not ruled out

In a massive development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday has issued a statement confirming that the probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput is still ongoing and that all aspects of the investigation are being looked into meticulously, including the homicide angle.

CBI: 'Homicide not ruled out'

This statement indicates that the CBI has not ruled out the homicide angle inspite of the AIIMS panel's chief Dr Sudhir Gupta's alleged leak claiming that murder had been ruled out. The CBI statement comes six hours after Republic TV aired a conversation of Dr. Sudhir Gupta from August 22 wherein he had expressed doubts over the Mumbai police's investigation and the Cooper Hospital autopsy report in the case.  BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dr Subramanian Swamy has said that he will recommend the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health summon Dr Gupta over his leak as well as the tapes, with his associate Ishkaran Bhandari also concurring with the contents of Republic's investigation that Dr Sudhir Gupta wasn't satisfied with the Mumbai Police and Cooper Hospital's submissions.

WATCH | In Sushant Case, Explosive SSR AIIMS Tape Shreds Suicide Theory, Exposes Massive U-turn

Republic-AIIMS expose

Earlier in the day, amid media reports dismissing 'murder angle', Republic TV aired a conversation between Dr. Gupta - who headed the 7-member AIIMS panel which reviewed the forensic report handed to them by the CBI - on August 22, a day after the team was formed and Republic TV's reporter. Dr. Gupta had  raised several questions on the Cooper Hospital's report and had questioned the Mumbai Police in a conversation with Republic's Editor Special Projects Prakash Singh, while awaiting the CBI team's handover of post-mortem and viscera reports and the 20% viscera sample. 

He had made it clear that the "crime scene has not been kept intact" and also alleged there was "contamination of evidence". Speaking to Republic TV, he said, "Why was the autopsy done in such a hurry, was any videography done? There was contamination of evidence and is not suitable for further examination with sanctity." Moreover on August 11, via whatsapp chats, he had allegedly revealed that Cooper Hospital's autopsy team handling Rajput's body comprised of a junior level forensic doctor and four other medical officers. In a 180-degree U-turn, on Saturday, Dr. Gupta spoke to several media outlets ruling out the' murder angle' in the case. No official statement from AIIMS has been issued yet.

AIIMS submits report to CBI

The AIIMS team submitted its report based on analysing the Mumbai police's post-mortem report and autopsy along with photographic evidences on September 22. The CBI which stated that 'conclusive findings' have been shared and is now analysing the report along with the evidence in the case to take a call on suicide or muder. The CBI amid its investigation has allegedly raised suspicions on why vital details like the time of death had been skipped in Cooper Hospital's report.

CBI's probe in actor's death

While the CBI has questioned some of the people close to Sushant Singh Rajput including Rhea Chakraborty, Showik Chakraborty, Siddharth Pithani, cook Neeraj and Samuel Miranda, it has not questioned a number of people whose names have cropped up in relation to the case in eyewitness accounts as well as in copious investigations by Republic. The relation to the Disha Salian alleged accidental death have also not been looked into, despite numerous people stating on record that they are willing to depose before the agency.

The CBI has collected forensic evidence from the scene, it roped in AIIMS forensic panel which probed the autopsy report filed by the Mumbai police of the deceased actor. Sushant's family has expressed its displeasure at Dr. Gupta's statements 'ruling out murder' and is planning on asking the CBI to reconstitute a fresh panel to re-examine the post-mortem reports,  and the family's lawyer has cited another AIIMS top doctor to immediately conclude that it was '200% strangulation'.

In the three months since Rajput died, the Mumbai police questioned 56 people till date including several Bollywood celebrities. The Bihar police had lodged an FIR against Rhea Chakraborty and five others booking them for 'abetment to suicide, cheating, and conspiracy' - which was transferred to the CBI after the Supreme Court allowed it to take over. ED has booked Rhea and her family for alleged money laundering to the tune of Rs 15 crores, based on Sushant's family's complaints, but has not confirmed any irregularities.

READ | In Sushant Case, Subramanian Swamy Takes AIIMS Leak To Parliamentary Standing Committee

READ | Sushant's Family To Ask CBI For New AIIMS Panel; Health Min To Check Sudhir Gupta's U-turn