MUMBAI: Latching on to the AIIMS report that ruled out murder in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday demanded an apology from those who "defamed" the state over the case.
The medical board of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences' (AIIMS) last week ruled out murder in Rajput's death, and termed it "a case of hanging and death by suicide".
Rajput, 34, was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14.
The Mumbai Police probed the matter initially before the CBI began its investigation into the case in August following a ruling by the Supreme Court.
The high-profile case also saw a tussle between the Maharashtra and Bihar police.
"Maharashtra was battling COVID-19. At such a time, a conspiracy was hatched to defame Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajs Maharashtra," Deshmukh told reporters here.
"Some parties tried to defame Maharashtra, Mumbai Police. They should apologise to Maharashtra or else, the people of Maharashtra will not forgive them," the minister said without naming any party.
He also asked Devendra Fadnavis, who is the BJP's in- charge for the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls, whether he will campaign for former Bihar police chief and JD(U) leader Gupteshwar Pandey, who had "defamed" Maharashtra and Mumbai Police in connection with the case.