Media reports have ‘blown out of proportion’: Rhea Chakraborty files petition to the SC

Actor Rhea Chakraborty filed a second petition with the Supreme Court on Monday, complaining against media reports that have “blown out of proportion” ongoing investigations into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.

Ms Chakraborty, who has been accused by Mr Rajput’s family of involvement in his death, accused the media of having “already convicted” her. She also said she feared becoming a “scapegoat of political agendas” and asked the top court to protect her against “extreme trauma and infringement of privacy”.

“The issue is blown out of proportion in (the) media. Media channels are examining and cross-examining all the witnesses in the case. Petitioner has already been convicted by the media even before foul play in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput is established,” Ms Chakraborty’s petition read.

The petition pointed out that in two other high-profile cases – the 2G scam and the Talwar murder case – “media had convicted the accused… each and every accused was later on found innocent by the courts”.

Ms Chakraborty, who was today questioned by the Enforcement Directorate over an alleged money laundering case linked to the death of Mr Rajput, also pointed out that such inquiries “never see the light of day” and reiterated questions over the jurisdiction of the two central agencies involved in this case.

“Investigations into financial scams of thousands of crores by Enforcement Directorate and CBI never see the light of day and, at the drop of a hat, cases get registered even without jurisdiction…” her petition read.

The question of jurisdiction has been a sore point in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, with Bihar police, the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI all accused by Ms Chakraborty of lacking authority to probe the case at this stage, given the alleged crime happened in Maharashtra and the Uddhav Thackeray government in that state has yet to invite either agency to take up the case.

The CBI, which was invited into the mix by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has also filed a case and will start investigations pending the top court’s ruling on Ms Chakraborty’s first petition.

While the Enforcement Directorate is looking into the alleged money laundering angle, the CBI has taken over the probe into the death of the actor.

An earlier petition by Ms Chakraborty is currently being heard by the top court, in which she has sought transfer of the police case filed against her by Mr Rajput’s father from Patna to Mumbai.

Mr Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14.

Mumbai police, who have said there is no evidence as yet to suggest Ms Chakraborty was involved in Mr Rajput’s death, ruled it a suicide. The cops also said Mr Rajput was bipolar and taking medication for that condition.

Ms Chakraborty has repeatedly maintained her innocence in this matter; on Saturday she released two photographs – of a water bottle and a note that she said had been written by Mr Rajput – that she said was the “only property” of the late actor that she had.