Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput death 'mystery' continues to remain unsolved after a year

Almost like an unending daily soap, the so-called 'mystery over the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput continues, as it remains unsolved a year after he was found dead in his Mumbai home.

On June 14, 2020, at the height of pandemic induced lockdown, Sushant, 34, the man who moved audiences with movies like "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story" (2016), "Kedarnath" (2018) and "Chhichhore" (2019), was allegedly discovered hanging from a ceiling fan at his rented home in Mont Blanc Apartments, triggering one of the biggest controversies in Bollywood in recent years.

Soon, it erupted into a political dogfight involving the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra, plus the then poll-bound Bihar regime and the Centre.

Multiple probe agencies like Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), jumped into the cauldron that reeked of a riveting Bollywood potboiler -- intrigues, oodles of love, girlfriends, 'dhokha' (deceit), drugs, hints of lesbianism, alleged big money scam, nefarious links, et al.

A year later, the social media is overflowing with fan memories, obits, tributes and demands for justice, as the ruling MVA allies Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress leaders slam the CBI and the Centre.

 The Press and Police outside Sushant's house.

NCP National Spokespserson and Minister Nawab Malik termed it as "a conspiracy hatched" to discredit the Maharashtra government, and demanded that if Sushant did not commit suicide, then the CBI should reveal who is his killer.

The Bandra police had lodged an accidental death report in the case, but after the first information report registered by Sushant's father, Krishna Kishore Singh in Patna, the Bihar government sought a CBI probe, which was ordered by the Supreme Court.

On August 19, 2020, the CBI formally took over the case investigation, then the ED entered to probe the financial angles, followed by the NCB to unravel the drugs angle.

Sushant's family squarely blamed his live-in partner and actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and other friends or aides, leading to the arrest of around 33 persons by the NCB.

The CBI recorded statements of Sushant's family members and other witnesses, while Rhea contended that the late actor used to take drugs and was being treated for certain mental health issues.

Revelling in the fresh exposes virtually daily, like a TV soap, the BJP state leaders spared no opportunity to take jabs at Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son and Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray.

Later, in the Bihar elections, Sushant's death proved to be a political windfall and AIIMS, New Delhi, ruled out any foul play, concurring that he died by hanging.

Indo-Asian News Service