'Pace of CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajput's death has slowed down', claims family lawyer

New Delhi, September 25

The pace of CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajput's death has suddenly slowed down and all attention is being diverted to drugs-related issues with the NCB conducting "fashion parade" of Bollywood stars, the actor's family lawyer Vikas Singh alleged on Friday.

"Today, we are helpless as we don't know which direction the case is going in. Normally a press briefing is done by CBI. But in this case, till today, CBI has not done a press briefing on what they have found out. This is a very serious issue," Singh alleged at a press conference.

He also claimed that a doctor, who is part of AIIMS team, had told him "long back" that Rajput's photos—sent by the lawyer himself—indicated that it was allegedly death by strangulation, not suicide.

As far as the narcotics angle is concerned, the senior advocate further claimed that such a case can be made only if certain quantity of drugs is seized from someone.

Singh further alleged that Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is conducting a "fashion parade" of Bollywood stars to divert media attention.

"An offence can not be proved until some quantity of contraband is recovered. The only case made out is that of casual consumer and proving anyone guilty is almost impossible," he told reporters.

Singh had earlier in the day taken to Twitter saying he was getting "frustrated" by the delay in CBI taking a decision on the case.

"Getting frustrated by the delay in CBI taking a decision to convert abetment of suicide to Murder of SSR (Sushant Singh Rajput).

"The Doctor who is part of AIIMS team had told me long back that the photos sent by me indicated 200 per cent that it's death by strangulation and not suicide," Singh tweeted.

Rajput, 34, was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14 following which the Mumbai Police had lodged an Accidental Death Report (ADR).

On July 25, Rajput's father K K Singh lodged a complaint in the matter with Patna police against Sushant's actor-friend Rhea Chakraborty, her parents Indrajit and Sandhya, her brother Showik, the late actor's then manager Shruti Modi and his house manager Samuel Miranda.

He accused them of cheating and abetting his son's suicide. He also claimed that the accused persons had siphoned off Rs 15 crore from his son's bank accounts.

Based on this allegation, the Enforcement Directorate is probing money laundering charges.

The FIR lodged by Patna police was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), while the NCB is probing drugs angle in the case. PTI