Sushant Singh Rajput death: Will Indian actress Rhea Chakraborty get an apology for trial by media?

We have all heard of trial by fire. In India, however, a trial by media is infinitely more dangerous. Not only does it enable a court of public opinion that is of late nothing short of a strident echo chamber, it also character assassinates a victim without a shred of admissible evidence, like actress Rhea Chakraborty. In 2020, actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging in his Mumbai apartment. His postmortem report confirmed asphyxia as the cause of death.

It was common knowledge in the circles that the actor was troubled and tragically took his life. Even in death, however, demons of a different kind — the Indian media — did not spare him. His demise was an open and shut case, but with elections in his home state, Bihar, around the corner, Rajput became a convenient political tool for the ruling party. It was a lead that the media, in its eagerness to please, swallowed hook, line and sinker, barring a few notable exceptions.