CBI's Closure Report in Sushant Singh Rajput Case Sparks New Controversies:

New Delhi:The controversies around the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput are once again simmering with the debate that has emerged from the CBI filing closure reports for his death cases.

As the CBI filed the report, Advocate Nilesh C Ojha, who is representing the father of Disha Salian, responded to the report saying that a closure report is not a clean chit and can be contested.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, Mr Ojha said that the closure report does not mean the accused will walk free.

"As I have said before, there is no authoritative statement from CBI with regards to the closure report. There are two relevant facts to consider. One- there is no presumption of guilt and hence there is no implication of freedom. Two- the report is closure but it is a possibility it can be brought in front of a court and set aside. The other part of this, during the case there can always be evidence – the court can get additional information, they can give rise to directives further investigation, charge sheets or arrest warrants can be brought for the accused as within the Aarushi Talwar murder case."

Mr Ojha went on to explain that he has not had the chance to view the closure report, stating the CBI has not given any official or authentic indication regarding the report’s results.

He brought up previous high profile cases like that of Justice Nirmal Yadav, which had their closure reports thrown out by the courts that mandated further investigation.

"The court may not accept the closure report if it finds the investigation incomplete or unsatisfactory. In such scenarios, fresh charge sheets could be filed, or even arrest warrants issued," he added.

Rebutting the other side of the political argument on the issue, Mr Ojha denied any claims that the case had any political veracity to it.

“Yes, the politicians may have their own set of issues, but this one is about getting justice for Disha Salian and Sushant Singh Rajput: not for political purpose. The honest legal process should not be influenced by the politics of the country, but should solely focus on the facts of the matter,” Mr Ojha noted.

He further elaborated on the legal actions initiated by Disha Salian's father in pursuit of justice. Standing in for Disha’s father, Mr Ojha said that Disha’s father had filed a PIL suit in public interest in September 2023, which led the Maharashtra government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) within that year by December.

Mr Ojha further observed that there was a considerable amount of inaction from the authorities in Disha’s father supporting additional dismantling of the evidentiary barrier and the SIT’s formation turned out to be a major Disha’sfather’s statements case, however, there was also a case of great deal of inaction from the authorities as well.

“Disha’s father formally lodged a complaint with the police in January 2024 and attached supporting documents of evidence to prove that there was a case of gang rape and murder which ought to be investigated against people like Aditya Thackeray. The complaint received no attention for a long time, not registered,” Mr Ojha said.

The advocate has indicated some of the glaring gaps in the case which he thinks should be dealt with as a matter of priority.

“Disha’s father is pursuing four important issues: during what time interval was Aditya Thackeray’s mobile tower located in the region of the occurrence of the incident? Did he happen to be there? Who created the false post mortem report? And, who has been threatening would-be witnesses?” he said.

Mr Ojha emphasized that these outstanding issues suggest deliberate obfuscation of the investigation and a clear lack of responsibility and scrutiny.

In addition, he seemed to highlight the fact that police orthodoxies, like the account of Disha Salian's death by falling from the 14th floor with no contusions, raise a lot of conjectures.

“Disha's not injured body and bloodless living cracks epiphany bones stories raise flags about how true this investigation is. There comes a point where these suspicions cannot be ignored and action presented by the police up to this point becomes the focus of scrutiny…” Ojha said.

Sushant (34), also known as SSR, was found dead under disputed circumstances at his residence on June 14, 2020. This came in the wake of significant controvery. After a while, the case was transferred to the CBI. His postmortem report, done in Cooper's Hospital in Mumbai, indicated Asphyxia as the primary cause of death.