NEW DELHI: In a surprise move, the Home Minister of Maharashtra, Anil Deshmukh has said that filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt will be summoned by Mumbai Police in actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case.
This comes after Kangana Ranaut held Bhatt and few others responsible for causing distress to Sushant by intimidating him with their clout. Deshmukh also said the police will also summon filmmaker Karan Johar’s manager, and if needed he himself will be called.
The police will probe, if groupism and nepotism, in Bollywood plays a role of ostracization as alleged by Kangana. She also questioned Bhatt’s involvement in Sushant’s relationship with his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty.
After Sushant’s death, people have upped the ante against Bollywood, which is gripped in all kinds of crimes – drugs, money laundering, black money, prostitution etc.
A raging debate around nepotism also has ensued. There has been demand for CBI enquiry into Sushant’s case as many doubt the sincerity of Mumbai police, which began its investigation from an angle of suicide, amidst theories of murder floating around.
The police so far have summoned some high-profile Bollywood celebrities during its investigation into this death. Rajeev Masand, who is accused of writing blind items on Sushant, was summoned. So also, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was called by Mumbai police. Sushant’s family allege foul play in his death.
Every Bollywood buff would know Bhatt’s involvement with Parveen Babi, despite being married to Lorraine, Pooja Bhatt’s mother. The triangle relationship shattered Parveen and Lorraine’s lives.
Lorraine divorced Bhatt, and Parveen’s life ended in a tragic. She died in 2005. Till fate, Bhatt has shared disturbing stories like Parveen running behind him naked and hearing strange voices. He spoke about her schizophrenia and how she felt stars like Amitabh Bachchan was planning her death.
These are the same disturbing stories being shared by the Bhatts about Sushant – that the deceased actor was hearing strange voices and feeling the whole Bollywood was after him.
The point is, if Bhatt was aware of Parveen’s and Sushant’s conditions, why didn’t he help them? Why did he ask Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakravarty to dump him days ahead of his mysterious death. Couldn’t he inform Sushant’s near and dear ones about his condition?
In both the cases, Bhatt did not help them, but deserted them. Isn’t there a similar pattern of pushing a person in depression? Police should look into the dark side of Bhatt when they interrogate him in Sushant case.
Bhatt and his family have been accused of siding with anti-India forces and radical Islamists time and again. Bhatt’s son Rahul Bhatt was associated with David Coleman Headley, who is a dreaded terrorist and 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused.
A day prior to the attacks, Headley had warned Rahul and asked him not to go to South Mumbai on 26 November 2008, the day of the attack. Headley had cordial relations with the Bhatts. He wanted Rahul recruited as an ISI agent and planned to take him to the tribal areas of Pakistan. He also wanted to make a film with Rahul in the lead.
In 2010, he had praised hate preacher and fugitive Zakir Naik after he was denied entry into the United Kingdom by the government. He had called the radical Islamist as a national pride and a prized treasure. And also, urged the Indian government to plead his case.
Bhatt also had participated in a show conducted by Zakir Naik’s Peace TV, which was fined Rs 2.75 crore for broadcasting hate speech. He also expressed his desire to make a biopic on Naik, saying that his was a fascinating story.
Making a film on Naik is more dangerous because terrorists are inspired by his speeches.
Bhatt’s wife Soni Razdan had called terrorist Afzal Guru an innocent person and his hanging as a travesty of justice. She made these claims after reading an article published in The Print, which ran a story on the links between DSP Davinder Singh and Guru.
Razdan, who is mother of Alia Bhatt, exonerated Guru of his crimes by quoting from the article which claimed that the Parliament attack mastermind was introduced to one of the attackers by the arrested DSP, who asked him to arrange for logistics.
Bhatt quite often welcomes with his open arms Pakistani artists, whose hate for India and Hindus are well known.
Veena Malik had called PM Narendra Modi a fool and blamed India for “violating” international laws by using “cluster bomb” and using “military force” against Kashmiris, after the passing of an act annulling Article 370 in the Parliament.
Bhatt also came to her rescue in 2014, when she accused her India-based manager Prashant Singh of hacking into her account. He was also the first one among the filmmakers to give Aslam a chance in his film ‘Zeher’ by including his song ‘Woh Lamhey’.
Bhatt also is linked with T-Series Founder Gulshan Kumar’s assasination. According to retired Mumbai Police Chief Rakesh Maria, Bhatt was informed about the plot to kill Kumar, but could not avert the incident from taking place on 12 August 1997.
Maria revealed in his book “Let Me Say It Now” that he had received a call on 22 April 1997 and immediately telephoned Bhatt about the plot to kill Kumar. However, Kumar was shot dead as he came out of Shiv temple in Mumbai’s Andheri, on 12 August 1997.
Bhatt is also notorious for throwing tantrums at newcomers if they decline his offers. Once, he threw his chappals at Kangana when she had refused to act in Dhokha because film glorified suicide bomber, a role which she was uncomfortable with.