The trial by media- Sushant Singh Rajput’s!

I recall a real crime thriller hogging the limelight in 1994 in the USA, the O.J. Simpson murder trial. O.J. Simpson was an American celebrity, a former National Football League (NFL) player, broadcaster and an actor. Simpson was accused of killing his ex-wife and her boyfriend and pronounced ‘not-guilty’ by the jury, in a trial that lasted eight months with the examination of 150 witnesses. A civil suit was later filed in which the jury found Simpson responsible for the deaths and awarded $33.5 million in damages. The trials never for once lost the primetime slots in either the television channels or the print media as millions of Americans were intensely following the events. His attempted escape telecast live had 95 million Americans watching the episode.

Indian media, in particular, the television channels too are deep in the ‘O.J. Simpson- syndrome.’ The events started with the alleged suicide of a Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR), who shot to fame by his portrayal of the famous cricketer, M.S. Dhoni. His acting skills may be of irrelevance in this post. SSR was found hanging, when he did not respond to the knocks on his door, taken to the hospital, pronounced dead and a quick ‘no-foul play’ detected report filed by the Mumbai police.

The case was as much closed, but for an angry-bird T.V. anchor, who was summoned by the Mumbai police and grilled for long hours, puncturing his super-ego and presumed ‘conscience of the nation.’ It is election time in Bihar, and SSR, a Bihari’s death was a clincher for most politicians who swung into action. Soon a posse of police officers from Bihar landed in Mumbai to ascertain the ‘facts.’ The bruised Mumbai cops retorted by confining the top cop from Bihar into a ‘punitive quarantine.’

Bihar exploded, and for once political parties forgot their political conflicts and moved the court. The quarantine was lifted, and the court further permitted the Bihar Government’s request to hand over the investigation to the CBI. The media, by now had concluded that it was a murder and had to find a murderer. SSR’s girlfriend became the target of a vicious and scandalous attack, for the alleged killing as well as a drug trader. Soon, the waiting sleuths spread out and picked a few extra-actors from Goa and elsewhere, who were drug pushers to Bollywood.

The neglected enforcement Directorate too found a scope to chip in and did a forensic audit to nail transactions in crores, nothing unusual in an actor of SSR’s stature. The agencies are continuously interrogating many, the girlfriend of SSR in particular, who has supposedly admitted to procuring drugs. The T.V. channels are euphoric with a ‘We were the first to tell told you so.’ The show is on.

The Delhi gossip is that Bollywood was similar like the JNU and Aligarh Muslim University to the Central Government. Most abhorred BJP and PM Modi. Religious fundamentalism card was played at every by the Centre to peek a closer look at the film industry. The mafia funds Bollywood; monies flow in and out of the country through hawala channels and bogus film exports and revenues collected abroad. The new actors are sexually exploited and the use of drugs and psychotropic substances rampant. Political leaders are often honey-trapped, causing a breach of security to the country. SSR’s case has been a godsend to cleanse the murky world of films. No wonder, the bad boys of Bollywood are hiding and not seen zooming in their SUVs in the wee hours mowing people down.

SSR’s death is sad, and a young life was ended brutally, be it by killing or suicide. There is nothing wrong in getting to the logical ends to dig the truth out. However, the media should stop now and allow the investigative agencies to do their jobs.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix