Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding

Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty faced severe backlash in 2020. She was labeled "a gold digger" and "a murderer." After a media campaign, she spent 27 days in prison. This followed allegations about her involvement in the death of her boyfriend, Sushant Singh Rajput.

India's federal investigators have now stated that Rajput died by suicide. They confirmed that Chakraborty and her family were not involved in his death. Senior lawyer Satish Maneshinde shared this information with the BBC. He noted that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) thoroughly investigated the case and closed it.

The findings are now presented to a special court in Mumbai. The court will decide whether to close the case or order further investigation. Maneshinde emphasized that Chakraborty endured "untold miseries" and was jailed unjustly.

He criticized the false narratives spread by social media and news outlets. He urged media leaders to reflect on their actions. Innocent people were targeted during this ordeal, he said, hoping it won't happen again.

Feminist lawyer Payal Chawla called the treatment of Chakraborty "deeply troubling." She stated that this case serves as a warning against being judgmental. Chakraborty has not commented since the CBI's announcement over the weekend.

On Monday, she visited a temple with her brother and father, who were also named in police complaints related to Rajput's death. Her brother Showik shared a photo with Rhea captioned "Satyamev Jayate," meaning "truth alone prevails."

Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai home on June 14, 2020. He was 34 years old and had been receiving treatment for mental health issues at the time of his death. Chakraborty had been living with him but moved back to her parents' house shortly before he died.

She expressed deep grief on social media after his passing, stating she felt an "irreparable numbness." However, within weeks, she became embroiled in controversy after Rajput's father filed a police complaint against her.

The complaint accused Chakraborty of stealing money from Rajput and contributing to his suicide while denying any mental health issues he faced. The Rajput family has not commented on recent developments regarding his death.

Chakraborty consistently denied all allegations against her and sought a fair investigation into Rajput's death. The tragedy occurred during India's lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic and became sensational news across television channels.

Chakraborty faced misogynistic abuse online, being called names like "witch" and "fortune huntress." She received numerous threats as high-profile TV hosts discussed her alleged guilt extensively.

Some anchors accused her of manipulating Rajput into suicide through black magic or drug use. A viral video showed one anchor accusing her hysterically while another claimed to have evidence against her live on air.

This hate campaign continued until Chakraborty's arrest three months after Rajput's death. Following questioning by police and financial agencies, she was released after one month.

Since then, she has reinvented herself as a motivational speaker and businesswoman with a clothing line and podcast featuring celebrity interviews. She is also participating in reality TV shows now.

Chakraborty spoke about how public vilification affected her career opportunities significantly due to negative perceptions surrounding her name. She expressed anger over these experiences but acknowledged needing forgiveness for personal peace.

It remains unclear what legal action she may pursue against those who defamed her publicly; many suggest suing for damages could be an option. Columnist Namita Bhandare highlighted challenges associated with seeking compensation through India's judicial system due to its backlog of cases.

Bhandare noted that Chakraborty's situation reflects traditional Indian attitudes toward blaming women left behind after tragedies like this one while exposing social media’s dark side—finding villains quickly without full context or truth.

Videos resurfacing show prominent news anchors making slanderous remarks about Chakraborty; they are circulating widely online again today. Many Bollywood colleagues are calling for apologies from these presenters for their past actions against her reputation.

Actress Dia Mirza criticized media outlets for their role in creating distress for Chakraborty solely for ratings purposes—demanding accountability through public apologies from those responsible for spreading misinformation about her character.

Journalist Rohini Singh specifically named TV channels asking if they would apologize publicly too—calling out their lack of decency throughout this ordeal involving false accusations leading up to imprisonment without proper evidence presented initially against Rhea herself.

In parliament recently, MP Sagarika Ghosh raised concerns regarding how news channels conducted motivated campaigns targeting Rhea directly instead focusing on facts surrounding Sushant’s tragic passing away instead highlighting injustices suffered by individuals caught up within sensationalized narratives created around them ultimately leading nowhere good overall!