New Delhi/Mumbai/Patna: The BJP and its allies hailed the Supreme Court order on a CBI probe in actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. The BJP and its allies called it as a ‘triumph of justice’. They expressed confidence Wednesday that the central agency will bring out the truth.
The ruling Congress and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra defended the Mumbai police. They alleged that the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government is trying to take political advantage of the issue. This is due to the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls. The Maharashtra government had opposed an FIR by the Bihar police and a CBI probe in the sensational case.
However, JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asserted that the Supreme Court order has vindicated his government. He said that its action had nothing to do with politics or elections.
Soon after the apex court’s verdict, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tweeted, “Justice triumphs! The soul of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput will surely now rest in peace with the assurance of a fair investigation by CBI on the FIR filed in Patna by Bihar Police whose request for transfer of the case to CBI has been validated by the Supreme Court.”
Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said the CBI should now carry out a proper probe into the actor’s death. He asserted that justice will not be delivered by the BJP-JD(U), who are in power in Bihar. He said the alliance is making statements for ‘political gains’.
The BJP and its allies have been trying to put their rivals, including the Congress, on the defensive over the issue.
“With today’s apex court order, it has become amply clear that whatever was done in Bihar was in accordance with the law and constitutional norms. And I am quite hopeful that justice will now be done in the case,” Kumar said.
Congress leader Gohil said the apex court in its ruling has stated that records of the case produced before it do not ‘prima facie suggest any wrongdoing by the Mumbai Police’. He demanded that the BJP leaders apologise to the force.
“I demand that the CBI should fulfill its duty and an investigation is completed at the earliest,” he said at an online media briefing. “Justice will not be delivered by the statements being made by BJP-JDU for political gains in view of the Assembly polls. There should be a proper investigation in the case. The Mumbai police, considered among the good police forces in the world, was abused by the BJP. The BJP did so just to oppose the Congress and Shiv Sena,” the Rajya Sabha MP added.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who had been pushing for a CBI probe, said the Maharashtra government needs to introspect on the way it handled the case.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters that ‘doubting’ the integrity of Mumbai Police was a ‘conspiracy’. He alleged that politicians maligned the force. He, however, did not take any name. Raut said the Mumbai Police had probed the case ‘in all fairness’.
Asked if the verdict was a setback to the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government, Raut said, “Such things do happen in legal battles.” On whether the state government will challenge the verdict, Raut said it will respond after getting a copy of the judgement. Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh also said he will comment only after studying the apex court order.