Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray has approached the Bombay High Court, praying that the court should hear him before passing any order in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding CBI probe in the alleged connections between the deaths of Actor Sushant Singh Rajput and his former manager Disha Salian.
Thackeray filed an application on October 13, through advocate Rahul Arote, in the PIL contending that the PIL was not maintainable as the case was being probed by the state.
PIL had demanded Thackeray's arrest
In September, a PIL was filed by the ‘Supreme Court & High Court Litigants Association of India’ through its president, Rashid Khan Pathan, seeking the immediate arrest and custodial interrogation of Thackeray in connection with the mysterious deaths of Salian and Rajput.
The PIL is yet to come up for hearing before the high court bench led by a Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya.
Arote said: “We have filed an intervention application saying we should be given an audience before any order is passed by the court in the PIL.” He added that the PIL is not maintainable as the investigation in Rajput matter is already on by CBI.
The PIL has urged that the CBI be directed to initiate a probe against Thackeray and submit a comprehensive report before the court.
Probe in Rajput-Salian deaths
On June 14, 2020, Rajput was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra.
The Mumbai police had initially registered an Accidental Death Report case in Rajput’s death. Subsequently, his father lodged a complaint with the Bihar police in July 2020 alleging Rajput’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family members had abetted his suicide.
The probe was then handed over to the CBI. The central agency has said that the case is still under investigation.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing allegations of money laundering against Rhea and her family and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is looking into claims that Rhea used to consume drugs and had also given the same to Rajput.
Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling off the 14th floor of a residential building in suburban Malad. The police had then registered an Accidental Death Report case. The Malwani police is still probing the case.
