MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Thursday claimed the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death was politicised to "malign" the Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra government.
If the FIR registered in Patna was right, then if other "characters" in the case who hail from other states file an FIR in West Bengal, will the Kolkata Police get power to investigate it? the Shiv Sena asked.
The Mumbai Police's probe in the case was in the final stages when it was stopped and handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on recommendation of the Bihar government, the ruling party in Maharashtra said.
It is surprising that even though the court found nothing wrong in the Mumbai Police's probe, the case has been handed over to the CBI, the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
"Several criminal cases in Bihar were investigated by the CBI. How many real culprits did the CBI arrest so far? Sushant's case was politicised only to malign the Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra government," it said.
Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14, and since then the Mumbai Police were probing the case keeping in mind various angles.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the transfer of the FIR, lodged in Patna against actress Rhea Chakraborty and others for allegedly abetting Rajput's suicide, to the CBI.
The apex court said the Bihar government is competent to transfer the case to the CBI for investigation.
The Shiv Sena said the Mumbai Police were investigating "to unveil the mystery of why Rajput committed suicide".
"It is an illusion that only the CBI or Bihar Police can unearth the truth. There is no harm in the CBI taking over any case from any state. But this would be an encroachment on the state's rights," it said.
"Today, the Indian Constitution will be shedding tears if it is observed that quarantining a Bihar Police official in Mumbai gives rise to suspicion due to which the case is handed over to the CBI," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.