SSR death anniversary: From Rhea Chakraborty’s arrest to Kangana Ranaut’s claims, here’s a timeline

It has been a year since Sushant Singh Rajput breathed his last. The actor was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14, 2020, leaving fans and the industry shocked. While the country united to remember the actor, sharing their memories of the star, the aftermath of his death was something no one expected. Soon after the actor’s funeral, his father KK Singh filed an FIR accusing Sushant’s girlfriend, actor Rhea Chakraborty of abetting suicide. He also accused her of money laundering.

While investigation into Rhea Chakraborty began, the debate on insiders vs outsiders garnered traction too. Actor Kangana Ranaut made startling allegations against the industry, revolving around bullying and drugs, further adding points to the investigation in the death case. Here’s a look at the timeline of events that took place after Sushant’s death:

June 14:

Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment. His team issued a statement confirming the news of his death. “It pains us to share that Sushant Singh Rajput is no longer with us. We request his fans to keep him in their thoughts and celebrate his life, and his work as they have done so far. We request the media to help us maintain privacy at this moment of grief.”

June 14:

Numerous Bollywood celebrities including Karan Johar, Anushka Sharma, Bhumi Pednekar, Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Kriti Sanon, and others remembered the late actor. Deepika Padukone also shared a post emphasising the need to talk about mental health.

June 15:

Sushant’s brother-in-law OP Singh suspected foul play in the death. The Additional Director General of Police posted as Special Officer in the Haryana Chief Minister’s Office sought a probe into the incident.

June 15:

Kangana said Sushant wasn’t ‘mentally weak.’ Her team shared a video of her reacting to Sushant’s death in which she said, “He was a rank holder. How can his mind be weak? If you look at his last few posts, he is clearly saying, literally begging, ‘Watch my films. I have no Godfather. I will be taken out of the industry’. In his interviews, he had expressed why the industry wasn’t accepting him. So is there no foundation of this incident?”

June 16:

Sushant’s ex-girlfriend Ankita Lokhande met with his family at his Mumbai residence.

June 17:

Casting director and Dil Bechara director Mukesh Chhabra recorded his statement on Sushant’s death.

June 18:

Rhea was summoned to record her statement in connection with Sushant’s death. Investigating officers also recorded statements from 10 other people, including the late actor’s family members.

June 19:

Yash Raj Films was asked to submit details of Sushant’s contract with the production house. Meanwhile, fans began aggressive demand for justice for Sushant.

June 24:

Mumbai Police received a detailed post-mortem report confirming that the actor had died of “asphyxia due to hanging.” The final report quoted, “No signs of any struggle before death, nothing found from his nails.”

June 27:

Yash Raj Films’ casting director Shanoo Sharma recorded her statement in connection with the death.

July 7:

Mumbai Police questioned Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The director reportedly wanted to cast Sushant in four of his films, but due to lack of dates, plans did not pan out. Meanwhile, fans demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into Sushant’s death.

July 14:

On Sushant’s first month death anniversary, Ankita lit a candle in his memory. Rhea broke her silence and shared a couple of pictures with Sushant and penned a note. “I know you’re in a much more peaceful place now. The moon, the stars, the galaxies would’ve welcomed “the greatest physicist” with open arms. Full of empathy and joy, you could lighten up a shooting star – now, you are one. I will wait for you my shooting star and make a wish to bring you back to me,” an excerpt of her post read.

July 16:

Rhea appealed to Amit Shah on social media, requesting for the Central Bureau of Investigation probe in connection with Sushant’s death case.

July 28:

Sushant’s father KK Singh filed an FIR against Rhea. The case was lodged under various sections of IPC including 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 380 (theft in dwelling house), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 306 (abetment of suicide) in Bihar.

July 29:

Rhea moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the FIR lodged against her in Patna to Mumbai, where a probe in the death case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput is going on, as reported by PTI at the time.

August 3:

Bihar Police headed to Mumbai for investigation. Meanwhile, ED questioned Sushant’s chartered accountant Sandeep Sridhar.

August 4:

Bihar Government suggested that the Central Bureau of Investigation stepped in to probe Sushant’s death.

August 5:

The government accepted the request by the Bihar government to order the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, the Centre’s senior second-most law officer Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court.

August 6:

CBI mentions Rhea, parents Indrajit Chakraborty and Sandhya Chakraborty, brother Showik Chakraborty in their FIR.

August 7:

ED questioned Rhea, Showik, Rhea’s chartered accountant Ritesh Shah and her former manager Shruti Modi for the money-laundering allegations.

August 15:

ED questioned Sushant’s domestic help in a money laundering case.

August 18:

Sushant’s father KK Singh recorded his statement with the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED is investigating financial irregularities in the actor’s business dealings.

August 19:

SC ordered CBI probe in Sushant’s death case. ED questioned Rumi Jafry, who was in talks with Sushant and Rhea to make a movie.

August 21:

Sushant’s sister Priyanka Singh recorded her statement in connection with the money laundering investigation with ED.

August 22:

A special task force from CBI landed in Mumbai and headed to the late actor’s Bandra apartment with a forensic team. Sushant’s flatmate Siddharth Pithani and his cook Neeraj accompanied the team.

August 25:

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI widened their investigations by questioning chartered accountant Sandeep Sridhar, Siddharth and cook Neeraj.

August 26:

Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) joins ED and CBI to probe the drug angle which surfaced during their investigation.

August 27:

Rhea appeared in a slew of interviews, addressing the allegations, her relationship with Sushant and more.

August 28:

Rhea appeared in front of the CBI for the first time since the case was transferred to the central agency. ED, on the other hand, questioned Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya. Rhea was questioned for three consecutive days.

September 1:

Rhea’s father, Indrajit was questioned by the CBI at the DRDO guest house, Mumbai.

September 4:

Rhea’s brother Showik and Sushant’s house manager Samuel Miranda arrested in connection with a drugs angle in the case.

September 7:

Rhea filed a police complaint against Sushant’s sister Priyanka for allegedly getting a fake prescription in connection with his anxiety issues.

September 8:

NCB arrested Rhea. “Rhea has been arrested and due process of informing the family has been completed,” said deputy director of NCB, KPS Malhotra. The arrest came after three days of questioning.

October 3:

The forensic team of AIIMS Delhi, which was looking into the autopsy report of Sushant, has now asserted that it was a suicide. “There were no injuries over the body other than hanging. There were no marks of struggle/scuffle in the body and clothes of the deceased,” Dr Gupta told ANI.

Reacting to the report, Kangana had claimed, “Young and extraordinary individuals don’t just wake up one fine day and kill themselves. Sushant said he was being bullied and outcast, he feared for his life, he said movie mafia banned him and harassed him, he was mentally affected by being falsely accused of rape #AIIMS.”

October 7:

Rhea released from jail on bail.

March 8:

Rhea returned to social media to post a Mother’s Day wish for her mother.