Sushant Singh Rajput death: ED questions actor Rhea Chakraborty’s brother in money laundering case

Showik has been named as one of the accused in the FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Rajput’s death case. Showik is also a director in two firms floated by Rajput — Front India For World Foundation and Vividrage Rhealityx Private Limited. While Front India was incorporated in January 2020, Vividrage was set up in September 2019.

Also Read| Sushant Singh Rajput death: Rhea Chakraborty appears before ED over allegations of financial irregularities

On Friday, the ED questioned Rhea for about eight hours pertaining to the investment made by her and her family in the two companies floated by Rajput. She was also quizzed about her properties in Mumbai and was asked to submit papers pertaining to the purchase of these assets. Sources said Rhea has denied siphoning funds from Rajput’s accounts.

Meanwhile on Saturday, Rhea’s lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, released a few pages of an undated diary entry purportedly authored by Rajput in Rhea’s notebook, where Rajput has expressed gratitude towards her and her family members. The diary entry was released along with a statement from Rhea, who claimed the “only property” of Rajput that she has is a water sipper embossed with the name of the film Chhichhore, in which Rajput acted.

Also Read| Rhea Chakraborty, her father and brother questioned by ED

On Friday, Manashinde said that Rhea and her family have submitted all the documents including the Income-Tax returns to the agency.

The ED on July 31 registered a money laundering case against Rhea and a few of her relatives based on the FIR filed in Patna on July 25.

In the FIR, it is alleged that Rs 15 crore was siphoned from Rajput’s account in one year “to bank accounts of persons not known or connected to the late actor”. The FIR also says that Singh came to know from a bank statement of Rajput’s account that Rs 15 crore was transferred to other accounts, “which had no connection with my son”. Singh’s complaint seeks a probe into all accounts held by Rajput and his credit cards to see if any amount was transferred to Rhea or others associated with her.

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The ED has already questioned Rajput’s chartered accountant Sandeep Sridhar and his house manager Samuel Miranda, who is said to have been hired by Rhea. The agency has also summoned her CA Ritesh Shah. The ED is probing whether Rajput’s wealth has been illegally siphoned off in a manner that will attract money laundering charges. The actor was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14.