A senior Mumbai police official has claimed that Sushant Singh Rajput’s brother-in-law, an IPS officer, had asked him to pressurise the actor’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty to end their relationship.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Paramjitsingh Dahiya told a TV channel that O.P. Singh, brother-in-law of Rajput and senior IPS officer of Haryana police, had made the request in February this year.
Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14.
“Singh asked me to call Rhea Chakraborty to the police station informally and pressurise her,” said Mr. Dahiya, who was the zonal police head of Bandra region till April 1.
Mr. Dahiya said Mr. Singh told him that Rajput’s family felt Ms. Rhea was “controlling” the actor and wanted her out of his life.
Mr. Dahiya said the actor’s family did not submit a written complaint. He said O.P. Singh made the informal request (to pressurise Ms. Rhea) to him through WhatsApp messages on February 18 and 25.
The DCP said Mr. Singh visited Mumbai on February 5 and told him to inform Rajput that he was in Mumbai. He also requested that a person called Miranda be kept in a day’s police custody, without any complaint or investigation, Mr. Dahiya said.
The DCP said he “politely and firmly” told Mr. Singh that it was not possible for him to call anyone to the police station and keep him in custody as it was against procedure.
Mr. Dahiya said he asked Mr. Singh to file a written complaint based on which the matter would be investigated. The written complaint never came, he added.
Rajput’s father K.K. Singh has released a video saying he alerted Mumbai police on February 25 that his sons life was in danger.
On Monday, Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh said the family didn’t raise any suspicion when the city police recorded their statements on June 16.
“At that moment, they didn’t raise any suspicion and also didn’t complain about any lapse in our investigation,” he said.
