CBI seeks custody of Sushant Singh Rajput’s phone

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, plans to write to the Mumbai Police for custody of the actor’s cellphone.

The CBI was given the go ahead to investigate the actor’s death after the Centre accepted the Bihar government’s request for a thorough investigation. The CBI says it wants to investigate the contents of the actor’s phone.
The phone will give the CBI access to his WhatsApp messages. They will also get to know if his phone has details of any financial dealings. These dealings are being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

CBI sources have told the media that the information from the actor’s phone could throw up details critical to the case. It could also explanations about the circumstances surrounding Mr Singh’s death on 14 June.

The ED is investigating if money laundering played a role in the actor’s death and it is looking into the financial details of his girlfriend actor Rhea Chakraborty and her family.

A month after Singh’s death, his father filed a case against Rhea Chakraborty and her relatives, accusing them of cheating Singh financially, mentally harassing him and driving him to suicide. Chakraborty, who has denied all charges.

Several conspiracy theories have spread about the circumstances of Singh’s death including the claim that the actor was murdered. Some have tried to link the case to the death by suicide of his former manager Disha Salian, who died a few days before him.

The opposition BJP and politicians from Bihar have targeted Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray, also a Maharashtra minister, saying there have been attempts to disrupt the probe.

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