ED questions Rhea for 9 hours in Sushant case

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned actor Rhea Chakraborty for nearly nine hours on Friday in a money-laundering case it has registered in connection with Sushant Singh Raput’s suspected suicide on June 14.

The 28-year-old Chakraborty, Rajput’s girlfriend at the time of his death, arrived at the agency’s office in Balard Estate area around 11:50am after her request to defer the questioning was turned down. She left the ED office at around 8:45pm.

The agency, which investigates money laundering and foreign exchange violations, also questioned Chakraborty’s brother, Showik, and her business manager, Shruti Modi, who also worked for Rajput as well. Their statements were recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Requesting anonymity, ED officials privy to the details said the agency was looking into Chakraborty’s tax returns and investments. The officials said Chakraborty responded to most of the questions.

A property located in the Khar area of Mumbai is also being probed by ED for the source of its purchase and ownership. Chakraborty told interrogators that

she took around ~60 lakh home loan for the property worth ~84 lakh, according to the officials.

When ED officials asked her about the remaining amount, she said she arranged the rest on her own and made the payment through cheques, the officials said. Investigators also tried to get more information on the formation of four companies by Rajput, Chakraborty and her family. While two of these companies were registered, the rest of the two were under the process of getting registered. Chakraborty said she did not siphon of anyone’s money, the officials said.

“She has been examined and her statement...(has been) recorded... She’s always cooperated with investigations with police and ED. She has nothing to hide. In the event she’s called again, she will appear at the appointed time,” Satish Maneshinde, her lawyer and senior counsel, said.

“Rhea Chakraborty is a lawabiding citizen. In view of the fact that ED has informed the media that the request to postpone the attendance is rejected, she appeared before the ED at the appointed time and date,” Maneshinde said in a statement earlier in the day.

Chakraborty initially refused to appear before the agency, citing her appeal pending before the Supreme Court. She has requested that the FIR filed in Patna be transferred to Mumbai, arguing that Bihar Police have no jurisdiction.