Sushant Singh Rajput spent much of his time closeted in his room, they said (File)
Mumbai:
As the CBI grills people close to Sushant Singh Rajput in the investigations into his death, four key witnesses have described how he spent his last few hours. All four lived with the actor at his plush home in Mumbai’s Bandra, where he was found dead on June 14.
The witnesses are Sushant Singh Rajput’s flat-mate Siddharth Pithani, his help Neeraj, cook Keshav and housekeeper Deepesh Sawant. Over several hours of questioning, they have given the CBI their version of Sushant Singh Rajput’s final day. Siddharth Pithani and Neeraj have been questioned multiple times.
Between the night of June 13 and the next morning, Sushant Singh Rajput spent much of his time closeted in his room, the four have told Mumbai police as well as the CBI.
Deepesh Sawant was the first person in the household to wake up on June 14. He has reportedly told the CBI that the previous night, when he asked “Sushant Sir” to have his dinner, he refused and asked for a mango shake. “You all go ahead and eat,” the actor said, according to Sawant.
Sawant claimed he ate his food and started watching a film on his mobile phone. Around 10.30 PM, he told investigators, when he called Sushant Singh Rajput on the phone, there was no response. He assumed that his employer had gone to sleep.
Sawant said he woke up the next day at 5.30 AM and an hour later, after finishing his daily rituals, went upstairs to Sushant Singh Rajput’s room, as always.
When he knocked, he found that the actor was already up and sitting in his bed. Sawant greeted him and asked whether he should bring him his tea. But he refused tea and breakfast, according to Sawant.
Sushant Singh Rajput was alone, his fan was on, the door was open and the curtains partly drawn, Sawant told investigators, describing what he believed was an ordinary day.
Around 7 AM, Keshav and Neeraj woke up.
Neeraj has told the CBI that he called out to “Sir” between 8 and 8.15 AM and at that time Sushant Singh Rajput came to the stairs and asked for cold water.
An hour later, Keshav went upstairs to the actor’s room to give him pomegranate juice and coconut water, investigators were told. That was around 9.15 AM.
That was the last time they would see him.
Keshav has told the CBI that when he went to ask “Sushant Sir” what to make for lunch, he found his door locked, which was unusual.
He said he informed Sidharth Pithani, a creative art designer who was closest to Sushant Singh Rajput among all four.
Sidharth Pithani would stay in the room opposite Sushant Singh Rajput’s “when Rhea Chakraborty was not at home”, the witnesses said.
Sawant told the CBI that around 10.30 AM, Sidharth Pithani came to him and told him that “Sir” had bolted his room.
Everyone was worried by this time, according to the witnesses, because Sushant Singh Rajput would only ever lock his room when Rhea Chakraborty was around. They thought he may have gone back to sleep.
Around 15 minutes later, they knocked on the actor’s door again but got no response.
Siddharth Pithani has told the CBI that around that time, Sushant Singh Rajput’s sister Meetu called and he told her that he was not opening his door. Meetu Singh reportedly told them to keep trying and get back to her.
They kept trying the door and knocked loudly but got nothing.
It was 11.15 AM by then. All four men were hovering outside the actor’s room, they told the CBI.
Then they reportedly started searching for the keys to the room. They called Sushant Singh Rajput’s manager Samuel Miranda and asked him if he had spare keys. Miranda did not.
An hour was spent looking for ways to enter the room. The men called Meetu Singh while Pithani decided to call a lock picker. He first asked the building’s security guard if he knew any.
The guard, Raju, asked why. Pithani told him the room’s lock was jammed. When the guard asked him to wait, Pithani reportedly googled for lockmakers and found one.
The man asked for Rs 2,000 for his services. When he arrived, he was not told it was Sushant Singh Rajput’s apartment, the men told CBI.
He broke the lock and was immediately paid and sent off.
Pithani has told the CBI that he felt it was better not to reveal to the man what was happening or whose home it was.
When he left, Sawant and Pithani entered the room but Neeraj stayed outside. The lights were off and the curtains were drawn.
When they flicked the lights, they were shocked to see Sushant Singh Rajput hanging, according to their statement.
Pithani called Meetu Singh and gave her the news. Neeraj and Keshav were still outside the room.
Pithani says he dialed 108 for an ambulance and asked for a doctor. When asked for the reason and the name of the person, he first said it was a friend. Pressed to reveal the identity, he replied it was Sushant Singh Rajput.
The actor’s older sister called on Pithani’s phone. According to him, when the sister’s husband heard what had happened, he urged them to bring him down and check if he was breathing.
Around 5 minutes after the actor’s body was brought down and laid on his bed, Meetu Singh arrived and reportedly said: “Gulshan, what have you done, babu?”
Pithani has told the CBI that there were attempts to revive Sushant Singh Rajput. Then the police arrived.
