The complex case of Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput’s death: 'A lesson in ending stigmas'

The life of the 'Chhichhore' actor has been put under the spotlight following a number of investigations launched after his death in June

Sushant Singh Rajput attends the book launch of 'Boundless' in Mumbai on April 10, 2019. AFP

Sushant Singh Rajput attends the Big Zee Entertainment Awards 2017 ceremony in Mumbai. AFP

Sushant Singh Rajput was the male lead in 'Chhichhore', which follows seven young friends as they navigate college and hostel life. Fox Star Studios

Sushant Singh Rajput in 'Sonchiriya', he played rebel, Lakhna. Courtesy Brain On Rent

Sushant Singh Rajput played Ishaan Bhatt in 'Kai Po Che!' in 2013, his film debut. Courtesy UTV Motion Pictures

Sushant Singh Rajput dances at the 14th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) at The Venetian hotel in Macau on July 6, 2013. AFP

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput and actress Anushka Sharma in 'PK'. Courtesy Rajkumar Hirani Films

Sushant Singh Rajput in 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story'. Courtesy: Empire International Gulf

Sushant Singh Rajput in 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!'. Courtesy Yash Raj Films

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput during promotion of his film 'Kai Po Che!' in January 2013 in Mumbai, India. Getty Images

Sushant Singh Rajput poses for a profile shoot at Andheri in January 2015 in Mumbai, India. Getty Images

Sushant Singh Rajput performs during the 18th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Festival at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. AFP

Sushant Singh Rajput poses for a picture as he attends the Star Screen Awards ceremony in Mumbai on December 16, 2018. AFP

Sushant Singh Rajput poses for a picture during the promotion of the upcoming Hindi film 'Sonchiraiya', in Mumbai on January 7, 2019. AFP

Sushant Singh Rajput performs at the 'Umang Mumbai Police Show 2017’ in Mumbai in January 2017. AFP

Sushant Singh Rajput poses for a photograph during the grand finale of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) on August 20, 2017 in Mumbai. AFP

In a 2017 profile of Sushant Singh Rajput, Forbes India called the Bollywood star "the confident craftsman", a nod to his tenacity.

Rajput's journey to fame began after he dropped out of engineering college in Delhi to become an actor in Mumbai. Then, just as his TV career was taking off, he quit that industry to focus on Bollywood films and went on to achieve a level of success few can only dream of.

But when Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14 at the age of 34 — a case the police have ruled as suicide — it not only devastated millions of his fans, but gave his fairy-tale story a tragic twist.

Following news of his death, there have been a number of developments, while conspiracy theories have followed thick and fast. Fans have attacked Bollywood's bias against "outsiders", while Rajput's father has filed a case against the actor's girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty.

Here are the latest twists and turns so far.

Why Bollywood is accused of bias

For many years, Bollywood has been locked in an "insider" versus "outsider" debate, with the latter claiming the industry is run by a group of film dynasties whose sole interest is promoting their own. The outspoken actress Kangana Ranaut, once one of the highest paid in Bollywood, has been the most vocal. Ranaut posted a video message in Hindi a day after Rajput's death, claiming he was a victim of nepotism.

Actor Ranvir Shorey also tweeted in July: "'The Gang' is essentially a mutually beneficial alliance of a few powerful, corrupt, crafty old men, and a few second generation younger producers who have inherited film empires. Their objective is to have control over the top of the pyramid and have pliable stars.”

Top producer Karan Johar, who is known for casting many children of Bollywood stars in his films, was one of the first to face a backlash online. Johar immediately went on a social media hiatus, returning on Saturday, August 15, to wish Indians a happy Independence Day.

A number of Bollywood personalities have since been called on by the Mumbai Police to record statements, including director and producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, director Mahesh Bhatt, Yash Raj Films chairman Aditya Chopra, film critic Rajeev Masand and casting director Mukesh Chhabra. Ranaut has also been summoned by police.

Rajput’s father files case against girlfriend 

On July 28, Rajput's father, KK Singh, filed an FIR (First Information Report) in Patna, Bihar, against Chakraborty. He accused the actress, who was dating Rajput, and her family of abetment of suicide and stealing his money. Among his accusations was a claim that Rs150 million (Dh7.3m) was transferred from Rajput's bank account to an unknown account over the course of a year.

Chakraborty has denied the accusations and filed her own FIR requesting the case be moved to Mumbai from Patna. She also said she’d been receiving rape and death threats on social media.

On Friday, August 14, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), a law enforcement agency tasked with investigating economic crimes, said that while Rs150m was withdrawn from Rajput’s account, no suspicious activities involving Chakraborty were discovered.

Rajput ran two companies along with Chakraborty and her brother Showik, according to the Mumbai Mirror.

How politicians got involved 

With elections due in Bihar, Rajput’s home state, later this year, it was only a matter of time before politicians waded in.

While Rajput’s death in Mumbai would normally come under the jurisdiction of the state of Maharashtra, because his father filed an FIR in Bihar, means there’s been mud-slinging from both states, ruled by political rivals.

A team of police from Patna who travelled to Mumbai to carry out their own investigation were put under mandatory home quarantine by authorities, prompting an outcry from politicians in Bihar who demanded the investigation be handed to the federal agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Bihar’s ruling party Janata Dal (United) is a close ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, a rival of Maharashtra’s ruling Shiv Sena party.

India's Supreme Court has rejected multiple appeals for the case to be taken over by the CBI. "Let the police do its job," it said in a July 30 ruling.

Why his therapist spoke out

On August 1, Rajput's therapist Susan Walker told journalist Barkha Dutt that she decided to breach client confidentiality "given the reckless media coverage around mental health and the lynch mobs unleashing hate on social media", adding that the actor had bipolar disorder.

"Symptoms can include severe anxiety,” she said, adding that Rajput was “suffering terribly during bouts of depression and hypomania".

Walker, who said she started meeting Rajput in November last year, added that Chakraborty gave Sushant the courage to attend sessions. "The treatment that Rhea has received on social media is deeply shocking to me," she said.

In their investigation, Mumbai Police said Rajput searched three items on the internet repeatedly in the week preceding his death: his own name in news reports, the name of his former manager Disha Salian, who had committed suicide the previous week, and information about mental health, an officer told The Indian Express.

The police also recorded the statements of three psychiatrists and one psychotherapist last month, who confirmed that Rajput had consulted them for treatment.

"Sushant’s sad and untimely death needs to be yet another lesson for us all in ending shame and stigma around mental illness,” said Walker.