Sensational Sushant case hearing in Supreme Court: Here's what happened in Rhea's plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard Bollywood actor's Rhea Chakraborty's plea seeking transfer of the FIR, accusing her of abetting the suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, from Patna to Mumbai.

While Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta represented the Centre, Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Shyam Divan stood for Bihar Government and Rhea Chakraborty respectively. Sushant's family lawyer Vikas Singh was also present for the hearing.

The petition filed by Rhea Chakraborty stated that she has been falsely implicated in the case, and that she was in a live-in relationship with Sushant Singh Rajput up till June 8, after which Chakraborty had temporarily shifted to her own residence in Mumbai. Transfer plea states that the FIR in Patna alleging abetment to suicide charges against Chakraborty is nothing but an act of "connivance" between the State of Bihar and the father of the late Sushant Singh Rajput.

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The Supreme Court's order:

1. Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, on behalf of Union Of India,  announced Centre's acceptance of CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

2. Senior Advocate Shyam Diwan, on behalf of Rhea Chakraborty, requested transfer of FIR from Bihar to Mumbai. Also asked for protection for Rhea in case of proceedings or any coercive actions that either Mumbai or Bihar Police may take. 

3. Senior Advocate R Basant, represented  State of Maharashtra, in the caveat petition earlier filed by Sushant's family.

4. Justice Hrishikesh Roy, from the single-judge bench, said 'issue here is of jurisdiction so far as transfer plea is concerned'. 

5. Justice Roy said that possibility of criminality in the unusual circumstances of the actor's death needs to be investigated. 

6. Supreme Court observed that everyone has an opinion about the case, orders Center to proceed as per law.

7. Justice Roy said, "Let Maharashtra government respond to what Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta has submitted."

8. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, on behalf of Sushant Singh Rajput's family, opposed Rhea's plea for protective order and claimed that evidence will be tampered with, if Rhea is protected.

9. Singh revealed that evidence has been destroyed already. Also, investigating officer from Bihar has been quarantined forcefully. Supreme Court then slammed Mumbai Police's confinement of Bihar IPS officer Vinay Tiwary; said 'it doesn't send a good message'

10. Justice Roy asked Singh about the time of filing the FIR to which he responded that it was filed after the mourning period of 40 days.

11. Counsel for State of Maha claimed there's no cause for action in Patna to register the FIR and cited 'principles of federalism' which were being tampered by letting Bihar Police interfere with Mumbai Police.

12. Vikas Singh called out Mumbai Police for letting Siddharth Pithani, who allegedly lowered SSR's body from the ceiling fan, go to Hyderabad. Meanwhile, he pointed out that the entire Bollywood industry has been called for questioning.

13. Singh also asked for direction by the SC to Mumbai Police to cooperate with Bihar Police.

14. Justice Roy then dictated orders as follows:
- Three days granted to all parties concerned to file their investigative reports.
- State of Maharashtra to update on the status of the investigation by Mumbai Police.
- Investigation to continue in accordance with law.
- Instructions to SG Tushar Mehta to submit a notification for CBI probe in the matter by the end of the day.

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In addition to this, a protective order was sought by Rhea's representative for the actor to which Sushant's family lawyer objected citing that evidence from the case collected by Mumbai Police is being destroyed. Further, Vikas Singh said that there can't be any further delay as evidence was already being tampered with. He also informed the Court that an IPS officer from Bihar who had gone to investigate the case had been quarantined in Mumbai. 

Justice Roy slammed the act of detaining the top-cop from Bihar by Mumbai Police and said, "The quarantining of the Bihar police does not send a good message. The confinement .. does it send a good message? Especially when the case has garnered so much media attention? State of Maharashtra has to ensure that everything is done in professional way".

With differing opinions of the parties in the hearing, Supreme Court of India ordered the continuation of the investigation and also denied any protection for Rhea Chakraborty. Justice Roy pronounced that the investigation will proceed in accordance with the law and by a competent authority. He has also allotted a 3-day window to all parties investigating the death of Sushant Singh Rajput to submit all their findings.