"Vindicated": Nitish Kumar To NDTV After CBI Handed Sushant Rajput Case

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the Bihar government has full faith that the family of actor Sushant Singh Rajput will get justice after the Supreme Court allowed the CBI to take over the criminal case filed in Patna against actor Rhea Chakraborty.

"The Supreme Court's order proves that there is no political interference in this matter. We have been vindicated," Mr Kumar told NDTV.

The police in Bihar and Maharashtra had been on a rough patch while investigating the actor's death and allegations against Ms Chakraborty that she cheated Mr Rajput financially and led to his suicide.

The top court's order to let the Central Bureau of Investigation take over the case separates both the state police and the two governments from duelling over the matter.

"We have full faith justice will be done. Whatever the Bihar Police did, from filing FIR to going to Mumbai for investigation, everyone knows that was the proper thing to do. Everyone knows how our IPS (Indian Police Service) officer was treated there. The CBI will get all the help they need from Bihar Police," Mr Kumar told NDTV.

"Nyay ki jeet hui hain (truth has won)," Mr Kumar said.

"Today, the action taken by the Bihar Police on the case filed by the Supreme Court in Patna by the father of Sushant Singh Rajput and the decision of the Bihar government to hand over the case to the CBI has been legalised and justified. Some people wanted to give it political form while the state government believed that it is related to justice. I am confident that after the order of the Supreme Court, the CBI will investigate the matter as soon as possible and justice will be done," Mr Kumar tweeted.

Minutes after the Supreme Court order, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi also tweeted that their stand has been "vindicated".

"We welcome the decision of Supreme Court to allow CBI to continue with its probe of Sushant death case on the basis of FIR filed in Bihar. Our stand vindicated," Mr Modi tweeted.

Mr Rajput's family had filed a police complaint or First Information Report (FIR) in Patna against actor Rhea Chakraborty, alleging she cheated him financially and her actions drove Mr Rajput to suicide.

Ms Chakraborty later asked the Supreme Court to allow the case to be transferred to Mumbai. The Bihar Police, backed by the state government, opposed Ms Chakraborty's plea and recommended the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the case.

"I am very happy. The Supreme Court's order has strengthened the trust people have in the court and has assured the nation that justice will be delivered in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case," Bihar Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav tweeted in Hindi, "First of all in the Sushant case, we demanded a CBI inquiry… I hope justice will be achieved within a stipulated time frame."

The Supreme Court said since the Mumbai police had registered only an accidental death report, it had limited investigation powers. The Bihar police, however, registered a "full-fledged FIR" which already stands referred to the CBI, the court said.

Maharashtra has been asked to cooperate with the CBI probe and provide all assistance. If any other case was registered in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput's death, it would also be probed by the CBI, the top court said.