Actor Swara Bhasker has written in defence of Rhea Chakraborty, who has been accused by Sushant Singh Rajput’s family of abetting his suicide and misappropriating his funds. Swara compared the media’s treatment of Rhea to the Salem witch trials in the 17th century.

She wrote in The Week that watching the narrative around Rhea unfold in the news, she was reminded of Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, a dramatisation of the trials that saw 20 women being executed on suspicion of practising witchcraft. “In recent weeks, I’ve often thought of The Crucible as I watched the public sentiment around the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, ostensibly by suicide, turn from emotional outpouring of grief by fans into a media-fuelled hysteria and blind certitude that he was murdered,” she wrote.

She continued that after the initial debate around nepotism, attention was diverted to Rhea after Sushant’s father filed an FIR against her in Patna. “This led to a shocking slander campaign and hysterical media trial that has practically declared Rhea to be a murderess, with no proof, based on contorted facts, rank misinformation and what are now being proven to be lies,” Swara wrote.

Rhea has been investigated by three agencies — the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate. And yet, Swara wrote, “She has been vilified and called slanderous names by social media ecosystems and #JusticeForSushant ‘warriors’. Salacious conspiracy theories about her have done the rounds and she, her family and staff at her building have been physically hounded by shameless media personnel.”

Swara wrote that while there has been no evidence to prove that Sushant was murdered, “evidence that suggests that Rajput’s family has lied is emerging.” Writing that along with Sushant, public decency also seems to have died, Swara continued, “Watching this case play out and turn into a senseless, hysterical, conspiracy-heavy TV soap-like reality-show, one cannot help but wonder at the human condition.”

This isn’t the first time that Swara has spoken in defence of Rhea. On August 10, Swara tweeted, “Rhea is being subjected to a bizarre & dangerous media trial fuel led by hugely problematic impulses of mob justice. I hope the Hon’ble #SupremeCourt will pay heed & take fake news spinners & conspiracy theorists like Repooplic, Poopindia & others to task. Let the law decide.”

About the tweet, she told Hindustan Times in an interview, “I can’t speak for others. I always stand up for what I think is right and we should not act like the judges, lawyers and investigators. It’s not our job as a society but a job for the courts.”

Rhea on Monday filed a counter complaint against two of Sushant’s sisters for procuring a forged prescription for him mere days before his death. The FIR was registered by the Mumbai Police and the case was subsequently transferred to the CBI, as per Supreme Court directives.

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