Alia Bhatt’s mother, Soni Razdan, criticizes the 'witch hunt' of Rhea Chakraborty in the Sushant Singh Rajput case: Where is the accountability?

Days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted its closure reports on Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, many Bollywood celebrities are now coming forward in support of Rhea. The discussion around media accountability and the treatment of Rhea Chakraborty has reignited.
In 2020, Rhea Chakraborty and her family became the center of immense public scrutiny. Both Rhea and her brother, Showik, were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) over drug-related allegations linked to Sushant’s death.

Soni Razdan’s call for accountability
Veteran actress Soni Razdan, mother of Alia Bhatt, has strongly criticized the treatment Rhea received during the investigation. In response to the CBI’s closure report, Soni Razdan expressed her frustration, stating that the case should have been thoroughly examined before Rhea was sent to jail and her reputation tarnished. Sharing a post on Instagram, she wrote, "Should have decided this BEFORE they put the poor girl in jail and tried to destroy a reputation. This was nothing but a modern-day witch hunt. The question is… where is the accountability? Who pays?" Soni also shared a comment that said, “The nation owes Rhea Chakraborty an apology.”

Bollywood celebs who voiced support for Rhea
Apart from Soni, several Bollywood personalities have also come forward in support of Rhea Chakraborty following the CBI’s findings. Actress Dia Mirza took to Instagram Stories, questioning the media’s role in the case. She wrote, "Who in the media will have the grace to put out a written apology to Rhea Chakraborty and her family?"
She further criticized the press, stating, "You went on a witch hunt. You caused deep anguish and harassment just for TRP’s. Apologize. That’s the very least you can do." Actors Pooja Bhatt and Fatima Sana Shaikh have also voiced their support for Rhea, calling for justice and accountability in how the case was handled. Many more Bollywood celebrities are now expressing their solidarity with Rhea, reflecting on the unjust treatment she endured.

Legal counsel Satish Maneshinde’s comments
Rhea’s legal counsel, Satish Maneshinde, has spoken out about the hardships Rhea and her family faced during the course of the investigation. He highlighted that despite no evidence of wrongdoing, Rhea had to endure 27 days in jail before being granted bail. "I salute her and her family for having kept silent and yet suffered the inhuman treatment they were meted," Maneshinde stated. He further revealed that Rhea’s family had sought his legal assistance through mutual contacts from his Sainik School days.