Controversy

Sridevi Death Case: Chargesheet Fired Against YouTuber Who Allegedly Forged Letters

By Sanskriti

February 06, 2024

A self-described investigator named Deepti R. Pinniti is facing legal prosecution from the Central Bureau of Investigation for allegedly providing “forged” letters.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken decisive action in the Sridevi death case.

The agency has finally issued a charge sheet against a self-proclaimed investigator who allegedly presented “forged” letters from prominent politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, to back her claims.

On Sunday, officials made this development public, providing insight into the agency’s continuous efforts to resolve the issue.

Why was a case filed against Deepti?

The CBI filed a case against Bhubaneswar-based Deepti R. Pinniti and her attorney, Bharath Suresh Kamath, last year in response to a complaint filed by Mumbai-based attorney Chandni Shah.

The Prime Minister’s Office filed the complaint with the agency, alleging that Pinniti had distributed fake papers, including letters ostensibly from the Supreme Court and the UAE government, as well as materials ascribed to the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister.

Pinniti, who is well-known for actively participating in social media discussions over the passing of Bollywood celebrities like Sridevi and Sushant Singh Rajput, has made shocking claims about Sridevi’s passing, including hints that the government may have been involved.

During an interview, she alluded to her purported “investigations” by proposing a “cover-up between the two governments.”

Dismay at the CBI’s actions

In response to inquiries from PTI, Pinniti voiced dismay at the CBI’s actions, commenting, “It’s kind of hard to believe that the CBI has filed a charge sheet against me without recording my statement.”

She further challenged the reliability of the evidence, suggesting a potential conflict of interest due to the CBI’s affiliations.

“When the letters in question are incriminating against the very authorities under whom the CBI comes, the CBI becomes a party of conflict to be the entity to collect evidence,” she asserted.

Criminal conspiracy

Before this, on December 2, the CBI searched Pinniti’s home in Bhubaneswar and confiscated electronic items such as computers and phones. The documents that Pinniti showed during her YouTube discussions—more especially the ones about the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister—were purportedly falsified, according to further inquiries.

As a result, the agency has filed charges under pertinent provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including 465, 469, 471, and 120-B (criminal conspiracy), against both Pinniti and Kamath.

Lawyer Shah, who practices in Mumbai, had said that Pinniti had damaged the government’s image by unjustly linking it to Sridevi’s demise.