The CBI is in the process of questioning eyewitnesses to understand what happened in the days leading up to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.
In the hours leading to his death, Sushant Singh Rajput skipped meals, survived on juices and mostly kept to his room. This is what eyewitnesses have told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in their initial statements, sources revealed.
The agency had summoned Sushant’s flatmate Siddharth Pithani and his staff Neeraj, Keshav and Deepesh Sawant for questioning over the actor’s death in his posh Bandra residence on June 14. All four are being treated as key witnesses in the case. Help Neeraj has been questioned for more than eight days, Siddharth for over seven days, house-keeper Deepesh for more than five days and cook Keshav for over four days.
The CBI suspects that if Sushant was killed, then these four people are aware of it. If it was a staged suicide, then at least one of them was part of the conspiracy, and if it’s a suicide, then they might be aware of the reason. All four were present on June 13-14 when Sushant was found dead. India Today brings exclusive details into how Sushant spent his last few hours as told to the CBI.
On the morning of the ill-fated day, Neeraj took Sushant’s dog for a walk and returned around 8 am. The actor had come out of his room and asked for chilled water which Neeraj gave him. Sushant smiled and asked if everything was fine and whether the hall was cleaned. Neeraj replied in the affirmative, and Sushant went off to his room.
Neeraj said the actor was a well-natured person, who would not show his anger on anyone even if he was upset.
Deepesh told investigators that on the night on June 13, Sushant refused dinner and asked only for a mango shake.
Deepesh went off to sleep around 10.30 pm and woke up around 5.30 am. Around 6.30 am, he went to Sushant’s room and knocked; the door was unlocked.
Deepesh found Sushant was already up and sitting on his bed. He then said “Good morning sir” to which the actor too greeted him. Deepesh asked whether he should bring tea and breakfast, but Sushant refused again. Deepesh told CBI that he didn’t notice anything unusual or out of place. Sushant was alone in his room, the fan was on and a few curtains to the windows were open.
Deepesh is the earliest to wake among Sushant’s staff. Both Neeraj and Keshav wake up around 7 am.
Neeraj said around 9.30 am, Keshav took juice, coconut water and bananas for Sushant. But the late actor only had juice and coconut water. Around 10.30 am, Keshav again went upstairs to ask Sushant if he wanted anything and what should be cooked for lunch. But the actor did not answer the door, which was locked from inside.
Keshav’s statement to the CBI is similar, according to agency sources. He had said, “I gave pomegranate juice and coconut water to Sushant sir around 9-9.15 am. Around 10-10.30 am, I went to his room again to ask what to make for lunch. His door was locked which was unusual.”
“Later, I informed Siddharth sir that Sushant sir was not opening the door. Siddharth sir knocked on the door and said it is locked from inside. Sushant sir would lock the door only when Rhea madam used to be with him. About 15 minutes later, Siddharth sir again knocked on the door, but received no response,” Keshav told investigators.
Neeraj too told the CBI, according to sources, that it was unusual for Sushant to lock his door when he was alone; he would only do that when his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty was with him.
Keshav, Deepesh and Siddharth, a creative art designer and the late actor’s friend staying with him, then went upstairs and started knocking on Sushant’s door. They knocked for a long time, but there was no response.
Deepesh then went downstairs again and informed Neeraj, who then joined the others. Siddharth was even trying to reach him on his phone, but even the calls went unanswered.
Neeraj told the CBI that they then started searching for a spare key, but didn’t find one. Sushant’s sister Meetu Singh, who was also staying with them for a few days but was out at the moment, told them to open the door somehow and she would reach soon. Following this, Siddharth called up a key-maker, sources said.
Around 1.30 pm, the key-maker came. He tried making new keys to open the door, but as he was taking time, Siddharth asked him to break the lock, which was done within 10 minutes.
Siddharth told the CBI, “After I knocked the door twice, I tried calling Sushant over the phone and when he did not respond, I called Meetu Singh and informed the same. I kept knocking the door and all the three staffers were around me. We all looked for a spare room key but weren’t able to find one.”
“I also spoke to Samuel Miranda (Sushant’s manager) over the phone and asked if he has a key. He said he did not have one. I again called up Meetu and it was decided that a key maker has to be called. I spoke to the building security guard, Raju, for a key maker’s number. I Googled and found a number. I called him and he asked for Rs 2,000. He came and broke the lock. I paid and he left immediately. I did not tell him that it was Sushant’s residence,” Siddharth told the central agency, as per sources.
Siddharth was the first person to enter Sushant’s room. Neeraj said that he went in after some time and found Sushant hanging from the ceiling fan with a green kurta around his neck. The kurta belonged to Sushant. Neeraj told the CBI that he got scared and came out of the room.
Siddharth called Meetu and told her about the incident. He then asked Neeraj to get a knife to cut the cloth. Neeraj obliged and Siddharth cut the kurta; Sushant’s body was brought down. Meetu entered the room around the same time and screamed in utter shock. Siddharth tried pumping Sushant’s chest but it had no effect. He then called police for help, who arrived after some time.
Siddharth said, “I and Deepesh entered the room. The lights were off and the curtains were closed. I switched one light and was shocked to see Sushant hanging from the fan. I called Meetu and told her the same. Neeraj and Keshav were outside the room.”
“I called 108 for an ambulance and asked for a doctor. I told them the name of the patient is Sushant Singh Rajput. I got a call from Meetu and spoke to her husband who asked me to bring the body down and check if Sushant has a pulse. I asked for a knife and cut the cloth from which Sushant was hanging. Meetu entered the room and exclaimed, ‘Gulshan, what have you done babu?’ I tried to revive him but there was no response. Later, police and ambulance arrived,” Siddharth said, according to sources.
Meanwhile, the CBI has been quizzing Rhea for the second day in a row. She was quizzed for 10 hours on Friday, August 28. According to sources, the agency has been questioning Rhea on Sushant’s mental health, finances and drug charges.
On Saturday, the CBI also wrote to Mumbai police to provide security escort to Rhea. The CBI, in its letter to Mumbai police, said Rhea’s been facing difficulties while coming to the DRDO Guest House for questioning.
The security has been necessitated with the media continuously on her trail. Now, when Rhea leaves her Santacruz home, Mumbai police will be with her all the way to the CBI office and back.
On Friday night, after questioning was over, Rhea and her brother Showik went to Santacruz police station as the media was following them. A day before, her father Indrajit Chakraborty too went to Santacruz police station for the same