Akshay Kumar files 500 crore defamation case against YouTuber for linking his name with Rhea Chakraborty

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has filed a Rs 500 crore defamation suit against a YouTuber from Bihar for linking his name with Rhea Chakraborty. Rashid Siddiqui, a YouTuber named Akshay several times in his videos and levelled various allegations against the actor. In his videos, Siddiqui claimed that the Laxmii actor helped the Jalebi actress escape to Canada. In one instance, Siddiqui claimed that Akshay was unhappy with Sushant Singh Rajput getting big films like MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, and alleged that the actor had "secret meetings" with Aditya Thackeray and the Mumbai Police.

According to reports, the police have filed a case on charges of defamation, public mischief and intentional insult against Rashid Siddiqui. He was earlier arrested for spreading fake news and dragging the name of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son, Aditya Thackeray, in the case. A senior IPS officer told Mid-Day that Sushant Singh Rajput's death was used by several people to make money. He said, "As many people were curious about the case, Sushant's death was misused by several to make money. Once the media started reporting different theories, YouTubers jumped on the opportunity and started posting fake content. By maligning the Mumbai Police's reputation they earned a lot of money."

Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging in his Mumbai home on June 14. The Mumbai Police, who were initially investigating the case, declared it a case of suicide. However, Sushant's family filed a complaint at Patna's Rajiv Nagar Police Station against Rhea Chakraborty for abetment to suicide. In their complaint, they also alleged that Rhea and her family members siphoned off Rs 15 crore from Sushant's bank account. As the case was immensely highlighted in the national media and social media, and owing to the Bihar government pressurizing for a CBI investigation into the case, it was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

A team of senior officers of the CBI along with a team of forensic experts from Delhi's AIIMS reached Mumbai to probe the case. The forensic team from AIIMS analysed the 34-year old actor's viscera sample to ascertain the cause of death and submitted a report stating that it was a case of suicide and there was no foul play. However, the CBI has not completed its investigation yet.