CBI Clears Rhea Chakraborty in Sushant Singh Rajput Case After Years of Media Vilification
Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty, once the center of an explosive and deeply misogynistic media trial, has been cleared of all allegations in connection with the 2020 death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, according to a closure report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CBI’s report, presented to a special court in Mumbai, confirms what Chakraborty and her legal team have maintained all along — that Rajput died by suicide, and that neither she nor her family members had any involvement.
“The false narrative in the social and electronic media was totally uncalled for,” said her lawyer Satish Maneshinde, adding that Chakraborty suffered “untold miseries” and was jailed for 27 days without cause. “Innocent people were hounded and paraded before the media. I hope this never repeats.”
The actress endured a wave of abuse, slut-shaming, and public harassment, with television anchors labeling her a “murderer,” “gold digger,” and even a practitioner of “black magic.”
Her brother Showik, also arrested in the aftermath, spent three months in jail. On social media, he recently posted a photo with Rhea captioned “Satyamev Jayate” — Sanskrit for “Truth Alone Prevails.”
Feminist lawyer Payal Chawla called the media’s treatment of Chakraborty “deeply troubling,” adding that the case should serve as a cautionary tale about public judgment and media excess
Since Rajput’s tragic death in June 2020, Chakraborty’s life has been under relentless scrutiny. The couple had lived together until shortly before his death. Following accusations from Rajput’s father — including theft and abetment of suicide — Chakraborty became the nation’s most vilified woman.
She received rape and death threats, lost film offers, and was the subject of countless speculative debates. Despite her pleas for a fair investigation, India’s television media launched what many now describe as a witch-hunt for TRPs.
“I tried contacting people in the industry, asking for any roles… but no one wanted to cast me,” she told Humans of Bombay in a 2023 interview. She later transitioned into motivational speaking, podcasting, and launched her own fashion line.
Now, as the CBI recommends closing the case, public sentiment is shifting.
“You went on a witch-hunt… just for TRPs. Apologise — that’s the very least you can do,” said actress Dia Mirza on Instagram.
Journalist Rohini Singh called out specific TV networks on X (formerly Twitter), urging them to issue a “grovelling apology” for their role in amplifying misinformation and damaging a woman’s life.
Even Parliament took note. MP Sagarika Ghosh questioned the character assassination campaign, asking, “Who will give those years back to her?”
While Rhea Chakraborty has yet to comment publicly, many are urging her to take legal action. But legal experts, like columnist Namita Bhandare, say India’s sluggish court system makes defamation cases long, exhausting, and rarely satisfying.
“She was expendable in the pursuit of a juicy story,” said Bhandare, adding that the case revealed the “dark side of social media” and a tendency to blame the woman left behind.
Vindication, But At What Cost?
As India’s judicial process now moves to officially close the case, many are left grappling with a difficult question — how did one woman become the face of a tragedy she had no part in causing?
Her silence in the wake of the CBI’s announcement speaks volumes. But the message shared by her brother may well echo the sentiment of many:
Truth alone prevails.