Bombshell probe reveals ‘the reality’ about​ harmless Bollywood star Rhea Chakraborty who was publicly slut-shamed, imprisoned and labelled a ‘gold-digger assassin’ following the dying of her actor boyfriend

The Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty, who was publicly slut-shamed and called a ‘gold-digger murderer’ after the death of her boyfriend has been vindicated following an investigation.

The film star was thrown behind bars for 27 harrowing days after wild claims in 2020 alleged she had been involved in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, 34.

Now, over four years later, the truth has been revealed. India‘s federal investigators have told a court that the actor had taken his own life, and that Chakraborty and her family had been innocent all along.

Rajput’s case gripped India after the young, rising star was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14, 2020.

Initial reports had pointed to suicide as police confirmed Rajput had been battling mental health issues, but soon the narrative shifted.

Grieving fans, conspiracy theorists, and sensationalist TV anchors began pointing fingers at Chakraborty, who was his girlfriend at the time.

Cruel claims swirled that the actress had stolen his fortunes and driven him to take his own life, after Rajput’s father lodged a police complaint about Chakraborty.

But the campaign against Chakraborty was relentless. News channels dedicated entire primetime slots to dissecting her life, questioning her character, and pushing a ‘misogynistic narrative’, according to feminist lawyer Payal Chawla.

One viral video from the time showed a TV presenter hysterically accusing her of being a ‘druggie’, while another channel dramatically claimed she had a ‘bagful of documents’ that would prove her guilt.

Chakraborty was hounded, harassed, and trolled mercilessly online. She was labelled  a ‘fortune huntress’, a ‘mafia doll’, and ‘sex bait to trap rich men’. 

Death and rape threats flooded her inbox as the hate campaign continued – until Chakraborty was arrested three months after her boyfriends death.

She was dragged into a narcotics probe and accused of procuring drugs for the late actor. On September 8, 2020, she was arrested and jailed for nearly a month.

After her release, she has tried her hand at motivational speaking and has reinvented herself as a businesswoman who has launched a clothing line and her own podcast with celebrity interviews.

She has spoken out about her ordeal, and explained how the name-calling and online bullying cost her work, and how her family were also harassed.  

‘I tried contacting people in the [Hindi film] industry, asking for roles, any roles. But then I realised that people won’t cast you because of all that had happened,’ she told Humans of Bombay last year.

‘I was very angry for a long time. But it gave me acidity and I suffered from gut issues. So, it became important for me to forgive,’ she said, adding ‘ I have not forgiven everyone. Some people are on my hit list’.  

With no actual evidence linking her to Rajput’s death, the media had already convicted her in the court of public opinion.

Now, in a dramatic turn, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has closed the case, telling a court that Rajput died by suicide and that neither Chakraborty nor her family had any role in his death.

For Satish Maneshinde, Chakraborty’s lawyer, the conclusion is clear: the actress was a scapegoat in a national witch-hunt.

‘She went through untold miseries, jailed for no fault of hers,’ he said in a statement shared with the BBC. ‘The false narrative in the social media and electronic media was totally uncalled for.

‘Innocent people were hounded and paraded before the media and investigative authorities. I hope this does not repeat in any case,’ he added.

Even today, many believe justice has not been served. 

Prominent voices in Bollywood and the media are demanding apologies from the news channels and journalists who vilified her.

‘You went on a witch-hunt. You caused deep anguish and harassment just for TRPs [a metric used to gauge advertising reach]. Apologise. That’s the very least you can do,’ Bollywood actress Dia Mirza wrote in a scathing Instagram post.

Now, with her name cleared, many are calling for Chakraborty to sue those who defamed her.

While the actress has remained tight-lipped, her brother Showik Chakraborty – who also spent three months in jail – posted a cryptic message on social media: ‘Satyamev Jayate – Sanskrit for Truth Alone Prevails.

But journalist Namita Bhandare warns that seeking justice in India’s courts is an uphill battle.

‘A defamation case could go on for a decade,’ she explained. ‘She would possibly get an apology at the end of it. So would she even bother to do that?’

Chakraborty’s ordeal has sparked debate in India’s parliament, with MP Sagarika Ghosh slamming the media’s role in the smear campaign.

‘News channels ran motivated campaigns against her. Today she’s proven innocent. But who will give those years back to her when she endured such humiliation at the hand of media?’ she asked.