Special Correspondent
Mumbai : Nearly five years after the tragic death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the case continues to make headlines. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Mumbai has now issued a formal legal notice to actress Rhea Chakraborty, seeking her response regarding the closure report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case.
The notice, issued by Magistrate R.D. Chavan, comes as part of the legal process under Indian law that allows complainants to contest or raise objections to the findings submitted by investigative agencies. Rhea has been directed to respond to the court by August 12, 2025.
The development stems from a complaint that Rhea Chakraborty had filed back in 2020, shortly after Sushant’s death, accusing his sisters—Priyanka Singh and Meetu Singh—along with Dr. Tarun Kumar Nathuram of illegally procuring and administering medication to Sushant based on forged prescriptions. The FIR had been registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
According to Rhea, the three had conspired to obtain psychiatric medicines for Sushant, despite his ongoing struggle with bipolar disorder and frequent refusal to take medication. She alleged that Sushant’s sisters acquired the drugs by using a forged prescription from Dr. Tarun Kumar, who was based in Delhi, and that these medications were sent to Sushant in Mumbai without any legal approval from a licensed psychiatrist.
The CBI, which took over the case from Mumbai Police following national outrage and a parallel FIR filed in Bihar, submitted its closure report in March 2025, concluding that no evidence of criminal conspiracy or foul play was found in the death of the actor. The agency stated in its report that it did not find any proof that would warrant further investigation or charges against any of the parties involved.
However, as per procedural norms, the complainant—in this case, Rhea Chakraborty—has the right to object to the findings of the CBI. The court’s notice provides her the opportunity to submit a written response or contest the closure before the matter is formally closed.
Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Bandra apartment on June 14, 2020, under circumstances that triggered massive media scrutiny and public outrage. The case quickly became one of India’s most high-profile investigations, roping in multiple central agencies including the CBI, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The probe widened into a larger examination of alleged drug links in Bollywood, leading to the questioning of several celebrities including Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, and Shraddha Kapoor, among others.
The initial months after Sushant’s death saw a nationwide demand for justice, with political and media pressure eventually forcing the transfer of the investigation from Mumbai Police to the CBI. The NCB, under the leadership of then-Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, carried out a separate crackdown on drug consumption in the film industry, arresting or interrogating multiple individuals, including Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty.
Rhea herself was jailed for nearly a month in 2020 under NDPS charges before being granted bail. She had consistently maintained that she was being targeted unfairly and had no role in Sushant’s death. The notice served to her now marks another chapter in the long-running legal and emotional saga.
It remains to be seen whether Rhea will choose to oppose the CBI’s closure report or allow the court to accept the agency’s findings. Either way, the case continues to haunt those involved and keeps Sushant Singh Rajput’s name alive in public memory, even five years after his untimely demise.
