Sharad Pawar Questions Country's "Obsession" With Sushant Rajput Case

On the Sushant Singh Rajput death investigation, which has captivated the nation with its multiple twists and turns, senior politician Sharad Pawar today questioned the "country's obsession" with one case amid so many farmer suicides.

"Any suicide is sad. Why is the entire country obsessed over one case when so many farmers are committing suicide," said the Rajya Sabha member, whose Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is a part of Maharashtra's ruling coalition.

Sharad Pawar's comments have raised eyebrows at a time the case has seeded a political fight between the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government and the opposition BJP.

Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his apartment in Mumbai on June 14. Though the Mumbai police investigated it as a suicide, the case was taken over by the CBI after the actor's family filed a case in Bihar pointing fingers at his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty.

The CBI's takeover, endorsed by the Supreme Court, was projected as a setback for the Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra government. The BJP, which is a part of the Bihar government, claimed a role in amping up investigations into the death of "a young son of Bihar".

For Mr Pawar, the case exposed a family rift. He had dismissed a demand by his grand-nephew Parth Pawar for a CBI inquiry. Parth, the son of Mr Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar, also claimed victory when a CBI inquiry was ordered.

The Maharashtra government appeared to have taken another blow in the perception battle, in a stand-off with actor Kangana Ranaut.

Kangana Ranaut has accused Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, which controls the Mumbai civic body, of ordering a demolition at her office out of vendetta; she had criticised the state government's handling of the Sushant Rajput investigations and had compared Mumbai to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.