TV news channels accuse Mumbai police of 'cover-ups', but SC finds 'no wrongdoing' by police in Sushant Rajput case

The court transferred the case to the CBI which, according to Republic, means the Mumbai police commissioner should resign.

WrittenBy:NL Team
Date:
Article image
  • Share this article on whatsapp

For the past few weeks now, a section of TV news channels have been running non-stop campaigns on the Mumbai police's investigation into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Times Now came out with "jolting revelations" about the Mumbai police, including how the police "botched up" investigations.

Then there was Republic, which produced "20 cover-ups" by the Mumbai police. It's coverage was relentless: Can the Mumbai police be trusted? Did the Mumbai police "tamper" with Rajput's diary? Did the Mumbai police not share digital evidence? Is the Mumbai police under pressure?

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. It culminated in Republic's "global campaign" to get the CBI to investigate the case, so that a "nexus" does not "mislead [us] from the full truth".

Here's Republic explaining the campaign in its own words: "Republic Media Network is in the pursuit of the truth. The network has carried out deep investigations, confronted key witnesses, accessed crucial primary testimonies, stung multiple key individuals and exposed the botch-ups of the Mumbai Police; and will continue to do so until the truth emerges, in its entirety."

The channel got its wish earlier today, when the Supreme Court transferred the investigation to the CBI. But crucially, the court said that records of the case produced before it “does not prima facie suggest any wrongdoing by the Mumbai Police".

It did, however, note that the Mumbai police's "obstruction to the Bihar police team...could have been avoided".

The order concluded: "The Police at Mumbai were conducting only a limited inquiry into the cause of unnatural death...and therefore, it cannot be said with certainty at this stage that they will not undertake an investigation on the other aspects of the unnatural death, by registering a FIR."

Republic, unsurprisingly, took this to mean that the Mumbai police commissioner should resign. Here's the clip, because words don't do it justice.

subscription-appeal-image

Support Independent Media

The media must be free and fair, uninfluenced by corporate or state interests. That's why you, the public, need to pay to keep news free.

Contribute

***

The media must be free and fair, uninfluenced by corporate or state interests. That's why you, the public, need to pay to keep news free. Support independent media by subscribing to Newslaundry today.

Also see
article imageHow Republic passed off a muddle of contradictions as ‘news’ about Disha Salian’s death
subscription-appeal-image

Power NL-TNM Election Fund

General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together to focus on the issues that really matter to the voter. From political funding to battleground states, media coverage to 10 years of Modi, choose a project you would like to support and power our journalism.

Ground reportage is central to public interest journalism. Only readers like you can make it possible. Will you?

Support now

You may also like