New Delhi: A week after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted its closure report in connection with the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, ruling out foul play, Zee founder and former Rajya Sabha member Subhash Chandra has issued a public apology to actor Rhea Chakraborty.
In a post on X, he said that Chakraborty—who was Rajput’s girlfriend at the time—was made out to be an accused by the media, “led by Zee News through its editor and reporters at the time”. He was referring to Sudhir Chaudhary, the channel’s then editor who had hosted several shows about Chakraborty at the height of the TRP race to cover the Sushant Singh Rajput case.
“In the Sushant Rajput murder case, the CBI has filed a closure report. I believe it is due to the lack of credible evidence. There is no scope for ambiguity, and hence, it means no case has been made out. In retrospect I feel that Rhea Chakarborty was made out an accused by media, led by Zee News through its editor & reporters (at that time) (sic),” Chandra posted on X.
In Sushant Rajput murder case, CBI has filed closure report. I believe it is due to lack of credible evidence. No scope for ambiguity, hence it means no case is made out.
In retrospect I feel that Rhea Chakarborty was made out an accused by media, led by Zee News through it’s…
— Subhash Chandra (@subhashchandra) March 28, 2025
In another post, he wrote: “Others followed Zee News. As mentor of Zee News, advise them to be brave and apologize. I do apologize to Rhea, even with no involvement of mine (sic),” Chandra posted. “I am like ‘एक मुख रुद्राक्ष’ बाहर और अंदर एक समान। [one-faced rudraksha, same inside and out]. Call spade a spade (sic).”
The CBI’s submission of the closure report has sparked a number of calls from across the country for media accountability over the relentless scrutiny Chakraborty faced in the aftermath of Rajput’s death.
Sudhir Chaudhary, who left the Hindi news channel in 2023, hosted countless shows that focused on conspiracy theories about Chakraborty, with headlines like ‘Rhea ke jhooth ka naya video’. In another video, he was seen saying, “Rhea Chakraborty yaha aapko drugs se bhare, nashe se bhare cigarette peete hue aapko dikhai degi.”
In another episode titled: ‘Rhea Chakraborty’s interview by a leading channel just for TRP’s sake’, he talked about Chakraborty’s interview with Rajdeep Sardesai in August 2020. On his show ‘DNA’, he claimed that Rhea’s lawyer and PR team also offered him the chance to interview her, but with certain conditions following which he had claimed to have declined the offer.
In an interview to Humans of Bombay last year, Chakraborty had said that she still holds grudges against some people due to the trauma she and her family face in the period after Rajput’s death.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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A fine gesture. May it be followed by others who are similarly placed. Along with an instruction to their employees to throttle back the flow of fuel into the engines. Cannot judge what it will do to their TRPs but I will return to watching television beyond Animal Planet.
Anyone taking the Indian media seriously needs their heads examined.