Ankita Lokhande clarifies her stance on investigation into Sushant's death
Mumbai: Actor Ankita Lokhande on Wednesday said that she has never claimed that Sushant Singh Rajput was "murdered" but wants "justice" for her "late friend" and his family.
Rajput, 34, was found dead in his Bandra apartment in June. His death has sparked a lot of controversy in the media.
Lokhande, who met Rajput on the sets of TV show "Pavitra Rishta" and dated him till 2016, had posted "Justice" on her Twitter wall after Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty was arrested by NCB.
Chakraborty, who has been accused of abetting Rajput's suicide by his family, was arrested on Tuesday, by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drugs case linked to the late actor's death.
Following Chakraborty's arrest, Lokhande tweeted, "Nothing happens by chance, by fate. You create your own fate by your actions. That's Karma."
Now Lokhande has opened up about her reasons to stand with Rajput's family as she shared a statement on her social media handles.
"I again clarify, for the reason time and again being asked by the media to me on whether I feel it's a murder or suicide? I have never said it's a murder or anyone in particular is responsible.
"I always have encouraged justice for my late friend SSR and stood by the bereaved family and truth should be brought out by the investigating agencies," Lokhande wrote in her statement.
Calling herself a"Maharashtrian and an Indian citizen", the actor said she has total faith in the state government and central investigative agencies.
Lokhande also said that many people have called her names but she never responded to anything and came forward to speak about Rajput when they were together.
"I only came forward to narrate about SSR and his mental health till 2016," she added.
Addressing her "haters", Lokhande said Chakraborty was the closest person to the actor and so she should not have let him consume drugs.
"When she very well knew about his mental state by publicly stating that he was in depression. Should she have allowed a depressed man to consume drugs? How is that going to help?
"His condition would deteriorate to a level that would make a man take the action that SSR has allegedly taken. She was the closest person to him at that time," Lokhande claimed.
The actor said that on one hand, Chakraborty was coordinating with Rajput's doctors regarding his health issues, but on the other hand, she was "coordinating drug logistics for him".
"Would anyone, who claims to have loved someone so deeply, allow the other person to consume drugs claiming to know his mental state and condition? Would you do that? I don't think anyone would. So how can it not be seen as an act of carelessness and irresponsibility?" Lokhande claimed.
The actor also raised questions as to why Rajput's family was not informed about his depression as well as his issues with drugs.
"As per her, she informed his family about his ongoing treatment but did she ever inform them about his drug consumption? I am sure she didn't because maybe she, herself, enjoyed consuming it. And this is why I feel it's Karma/Fate," she added.
Lokhande said she will continue to support Rajput's family, while asking her haters to maintain civility.
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Like Rohit and Virat, Sanju can''t be replaced: Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag
Jaipur (PTI): Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag on Thursday said Sanju Samson's void cannot be filled in his side, likening the challenge to replacing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli.
Sanju, who led the Royals from 2021 to 2025, was traded to Chennai Super Kings in a pre-season move, with Ravindra Jadeja coming in as part of the deal.
"If you talk about Sanju bhaiya, we never think about replacing the kind of player he is," Parag told reporters in a pre-season press conference here.
"We can perhaps look for someone with a similar skillset or have someone bat in his position...
"It’s like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma... In the same way, there is no replacement for Sanju bhaiya because he is such a good player,” Parag said.
Having represented the franchise for 11 years across two stints, Sanju was RR's most successful captain and leading run-scorer, having guided them to the IPL 2022 final and the playoffs in 2024.
His stature has only grown manifold following a stellar T20 World Cup campaign, where he struck three successive match-defining half-centuries to power India to a historic treble and title defence.
India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final with Sanju being adjudged the Player-of-the-Tournament.
Rajasthan Royals had a forgettable last season, enduring 10 defeats to finish ninth in the 10=team standings.
Parag, who has been picked as the captain following Sanju's exit, said RR lost far too many close matches last year and the 2008 winners need better strategy and planning.
“This year, the focus is to plan better and finish games, which we couldn’t do in the previous edition," he said.
"We need to plan well. Last year, there were about 5-6 games which we lost in the last over or even on the last ball. Had we been able to convert those, or had we calculated better, this question (if RR would try anything new) would not have been asked because we would have qualified (for knockouts) by winning those matches," he said.
"I think that in every T20 game, there are 3-4 decisions that you have to make which change the course of the game. If we take those small decisions with strategy and planning, this year will be different," Parag added.
He further expressed his gratitude to the franchise for keeping their faith in him despite several seasons of struggle.
"I was here when I was just 17 and I have seen all the ups and downs, though more downs than ups till now. I want to thank Rajasthan Royals for supporting me and understanding the cricketer I am,” Parag said.
Sangakkara backs Parag -- the skipper
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The Royals’ director of cricket and head coach Kumar Sangakkara said he has always “admired” Parag as a cricketer and he was picked as a skipper after a robust round of interviews with other candidates.
"It was about trying to find the best person who can lead the Rajasthan Royals. I (first) met Riyan when he was a teenager and have admired him as a cricketer. He's right (when he says) he has gone through a lot and seen a lot," Sangakkara said.
"The most striking thing for me was (to see) how reflective and mature he has become."
“To select a captain once Sanju decided to leave, it was very important that we explore all options. We had shortlisted some candidates that we had a very strict interview process for. Riyan knows the questions were hard. At the end of the day Manoj (Badale) and I sat down and it was evident that the right choice to lead Rajasthan was Riyan,” Sangakkara added.
