As the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a closure report on the death case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey criticised the handling of the case by the Mumbai Police, stating that their actions “caused suspicions" in the minds of the people.

However, the former Bihar DGP refrained from commenting on the CBI’s closure report, saying it is a “professional agency".

Speaking about the initial investigation into the actor’s death, Pandey accused the Mumbai Police of not cooperating with the Bihar Police team sent to look into the case. He claimed that when he sent an IPS officer for better coordination, the officer was quarantined, and the Bihar Police team was sent back after just five days.

The former Bihar DGP also clarified that he never stated the actor was murdered but only found the death suspicious and wanted a detailed investigation.

“When news of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death came, the matter died down within 20 days. After 20 days, his father lodged a case in Patna for the investigation of which a team was sent. But Maharashtra Police did not cooperate. I sent an IPS officer for better coordination. But quarantined him…I don’t need to be biased against anyone but during that time, the kind of conduct that was displayed by Mumbai Police caused suspicions in the minds of people in the country," Pandey told ANI.

“CBI took over the case and after years…I don’t want to say anything. CBI investigated this case, I did not get the chance to investigate. My team was turned away after 5 days and another officer was quarantined for 10 days. So, the Bihar Police team did not even get the chance to investigate," he added.

Pandey also said that the CBI might not have uncovered all the evidence or some evidence might have been “destroyed".

“There could still be a suspicion that CBI did not get all evidence or maybe some evidence was even destroyed. But I never said that Sushant Singh Rajput was murdered…I just said that it was a suspicious death and it could be investigated properly. Had Mumbai Police handled the case well and held a press conference and answered all questions, Mumbai Police would not have been defamed…I don’t want to say anything on CBI’s closure report because it is a professional agency. What else can it do if it can’t find evidence?" he said.

The CBI submitted a closure report on the death case of the actor who died in June 2020.