Mahesh Bhatt to be summoned in Sushant Singh Rajput death probe: Maharashtra Home Minister

Maharashtra state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has declared that Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt will be summoned by the Mumbai Police on Monday, July 27 in its probe in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. He has emphasized that the veteran director will have to testify before the police as part of its investigation into the possible reasons for Sushant's alleged suicide. The statement from the State government comes after Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut made sensational claims in a Republic TV interview recently and held Mahesh Bhatt and few others accountable in causing distress to Sushant Singh Rajput by intimidating him with their power in the film industry.

Further, filmmaker Karan Johar's manager has also been summoned, and Deshmukh said that Johar himself may be called in if required, and added that the probe will find out if there is groupism that causes ostracisation of people in the film industry, as alleged by Kangana. The Queen actor also questioned Bhatt's involvement in Sushant's relationship with his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. 

Kangana said, "Sushant's girlfriend at the time Rhea in her statement mentioned Mahesh Bhatt. How is he related? Bhatt's first AD has written how Bhatt used to counsel him. Who was Mahesh Bhatt in Sushant's life? What was Mahesh Bhatt doing between Rhea and him? Everyone wants to know. Why is Mumbai Police not calling Mahesh Bhatt for questioning?"

Read | Kangana Ranaut speaks to Arnab, asks 'Why was Mahesh Bhatt counselling Sushant Singh?'

Kangana Ranaut, in a tell-all conversation with Republic TV Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, had called out names of top industry personalities including filmmakers Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, Mahesh Bhatt and film critic Rajeev Masand and claimed that they played significant roles in "systematically sabotaging" and sidelining Sushant Singh Rajput. She exposed dirty secrets of the film industry and gave personal accounts including these celebrities and added that the Mumbai Police investigation is "a complete sham" without testimonies from these "real powerful people". The police has interrogated Aditya Chopra and Rajeev Masand until now and is awaiting statements from Bhatt and Johar.

Read | Mahesh Bhatt tweets "being kind is hard" a month after Sushant's death, gets trolled

Sushant Singh Rajput's death probe

Mumbai Police has, since the actor's alleged suicide on June 14, summoned about 37 people from the film industry including filmmakers Aditya Chopra, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rumi Jaffery, film critic Rajeev Masand, Sushant's last co-star Sanjana Sanghi and his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. Supporting Kangana's claims of 'mafia culture' in Bollywood, former Union Cabinet Minister Dr. Subramanian Swamy even wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The letter allegedly stated how 'big Bollywood names are trying to cover up the death'.

Read | Kangana Ranaut speaks to Arnab; talks about Mahesh Bhatt

Read | After Alia, father Mahesh Bhatt, Pooja shares cryptic posts amid Kangana Ranaut attack