Editorial, "SUICIDES OR MURDERS?," in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 31 July 2020, Vol. 16, Part 2, No. 14 issue

 SUICIDES OR MURDERS?

It is quite disturbing that so-called suicides of bright stars on the film skies, and of other arenas too, are occurring often; many of those alleged as murders, sought to be passed off as suicides, and some successfully so. Perhaps it is easier for the investigating agencies to close cases of suspicious deaths as suicides than to take up the onerous task of forensic research and thorough investigation to arrive at the truth. We had, about 2½ years ago, rued the case of what appears to be a patent murder of Sridevi, a most famous Indian heroine, being passed off as a suicide amidst allegations of hushing up the matters at the highest political levels. Citing the instance of the death of another star actress Priya Rajvansh that was also sought to be so passed off but due to public outcry and on closer investigation tried as a deliberate murder, this editor had expressed several doubts on Sridevi’s suspicious death, as also the earlier such deaths of Telugu film heroes Udaykiran and Ranganath, and hoped that “someday, somehow and by somebody the real truth would come out.” Now, the same holds good for the recent death of Sushant Singh Rajput, the lively rising star of Bollywood, and possible rape and murder of his secretary Disha Salian a week before; her autopsy report indicates some injuries to her private parts even. Seems the Bombay Police are not proceeding properly with the investigation and very surprising to know that even a FIR has not been registered by them since the last 6 weeks. Even for the cases taken up under S 174 of Cr.P.C., as suspicious deaths, the filing of a FIR is quite essential. Much furor and outcry from various circles arose and his own father filed a complaint in Patna, Bihar, the police there registered a FIR and took up investigation on the charges of murder by Sushant’s new lover Rhea Chakravarty/her family members. One famous hero-actor, Shekhar Suman, openly shouted ‘murder’ and has given a representation to the Maharashtra Governor, requesting the investigation to be handed over to the CBI. There is an urgent need to hand over both the cases to the CBI or any independent investigating agency, under the monitoring of some High Court, especially since allegations of involvement of persons in high political echelons, like the minister, Aditya Thackeray of Shiv Sena, is alleged in connection with both the cases. We also opine that it is essential for Section 174 Cr.P.C. to be suitably amended for handing over all cases of suspicious death to a Sessions Judge/Judicial Magistrate for necessary inquiry. §§§