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Sushant Singh Rajput’s family alleges CBI probe into his death to be “incomplete and misleading,” to file protest petition

Five years after Sushant Singh Rajput’s tragic death, the late actor’s family has decided to contest the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) closure report, which concluded that the 34-year-old star had died by suicide. The report cleared actor Rhea Chakraborty of all allegations, but Sushant’s family has strongly disputed the findings, terming the investigation “incomplete” and “misleading.”The CBI, in its March 2025 report, ruled out foul play, stating that there was no evidence to prove that Rhea Chakraborty abetted Rajput’s suicide or misappropriated his finances. It emphasized that the actor was alone at his Bandra apartment between June 8 and June 14, 2020-the day he was found dead-and that neither Rhea nor her brother Showik had visited him during that period. However, Sushant’s family remains unconvinced. As per a report by Mid-Day, their lawyer, Advocate Varun Singh, slammed the report, alleging laxity in the investigation. “This is nothing but an eyewash. If the CBI wanted to uncover the truth, it should have submitted all supporting documents-chats, technical data, witness statements, and medical records. We will file a protest petition against this closure report, which is based on a shoddy investigation,” Singh said. The CBI’s submission included two closure reports filed earlier this year. The first addressed a complaint lodged by Sushant’s father, K. K. Singh, in Patna, accusing Rhea and her family of driving the actor to suicide and mishandling his finances. The second involved a case Rhea had registered against Sushant’s sisters in Mumbai. The agency’s findings further stated that Rajput’s financial matters were transparently handled by his chartered accountant and lawyer. It also deemed the actor’s expenses on Rhea-including a 2019 Europe trip-legitimate and voluntary. Responding to these claims, Varun Singh asserted that the CBI’s conclusions lacked transparency, saying, “Merely claiming that funds weren’t withdrawn from Sushant’s account isn’t enough. The CBI must present detailed bank statements to substantiate its conclusion. This flimsy report won’t hold in court.”The case will next be heard before a Patna court on December 20, where the family intends to formally challenge the CBI’s closure report. Also Read: Rhea Chakraborty shares emotional moment of dancing in jail after bail in Sushant Singh Rajput case; says, “I did naagin dance on the day of my bail”.

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Rajkumar Santoshi gets summoned on October 27 after Jamnagar Court dismisses his appeal in the Rs. 1 crore cheque bounce case

Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi, known for directing acclaimed films such as Ghayal, Damini, and Andaz Apna Apna, has faced a major legal setback after the Jamnagar sessions court dismissed his appeal in a cheque-bouncing case. The ruling, delivered on Thursday, October 15, upheld an earlier order passed by the Special Negotiable Instruments Court in Jamnagar, which had convicted Santoshi for issuing cheques that were dishonoured. According to reports, the case stems from a loan of Rs. 1 crore that businessman Ashok Lal had allegedly lent to the filmmaker. To repay the borrowed amount, Santoshi issued post-dated cheques of Rs. 10 lakh each. However, when Lal presented the cheques for clearance, the bank reportedly returned them unpaid due to insufficient funds. Following the dishonour of the cheques, Lal approached the Special Negotiable Instruments Court, which ruled in his favour. The court convicted Santoshi under provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act, ordering him to repay double the cheque amount and sentencing him to two years of imprisonment. Challenging this order, Santoshi filed an appeal in the Jamnagar sessions court. However, after reviewing the evidence and the previous judgment, the sessions court dismissed his appeal and affirmed the lower court’s decision. In its directive, the sessions court has now instructed Rajkumar Santoshi to appear before it by October 27. The order further states that an arrest warrant will be issued if the filmmaker fails to comply within the given timeframe. The case adds to the list of legal troubles faced by Santoshi in recent years. The filmmaker, who has been a part of the Hindi film industry for over three decades, has yet to comment publicly on the court’s latest ruling. On the work front, Santoshi is currently completing work on Lahore 1947, produced by Aamir Khan, which also stars Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Sunny’s son Karan Deol, among others. With the sessions court’s decision reinforcing the earlier conviction, Rajkumar Santoshi’s legal options now appear limited, unless he seeks relief from a higher court before the stipulated deadline. Also Read: Producers put a ‘no-can-do’ clause in contracts regarding extra demands of stars: “If a star halts shoot to get a favourite ice-cream from the other end of town, he or she better pay for the ice-cream and the delay,” says Rajkumar Santoshi.