In a fresh twist to actor Sushant Singh Rajput death controversy, chief minister Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar on Tuesday recommended for a CBI investigation into the incident, exactly 50 days after the actor had committed suicide in his Mumbai flat. The development comes as the state gears up for the assembly elections which are barely two month away should they don’t get deferred due to the corona pandemic.

“The state government has sent a recommendation for a CBI probe into the case registered by late actor’s father KK Singh in Patna,” the chief minister himself made this announcement through a tweet today. The move has surprised many since the chief minister is not known for making such revelations through his twitter handle. Strangely, the chief minister not only tweeted about this but also liberally talked to some news channels, another rare thing.

The CBI recommendation in the case had become a mere formality after the chief minister himself said in the weekend that he could make such a recommendation should a formal request come from the actor’s father. During the one-day session of the Bihar assembly held yesterday too, leaders across political parties demanded for a probe from the central agency which was followed by chief minister’s talking to actor’s cousin brother Neeraj Bablu, a BJP legislator, over the phone on Monday night. That eventually set the stage for a CBI probe into the suicide controversy.

Even as the Bihar Opposition unanimously backed the demand for the CBI probe, it has now demanded a court-monitored investigation. “As we have seen previously that many cases remained unresolved, so a court-monitored investigation would be better,” Bihar Opposition leader and RJD legislator Tejashwi Yadav said. The RJD was the first party to seek a CBI probe into the case.

Shiv Sena which heads the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, has reacted bitterly to this move, describing it as “incorrect and politically-motivated”. “The Nitish Kumar government wants to take political advantage of its decision in the upcoming assembly elections in the state,” Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said adding it was not fair to do politics over suicide.

The Patna-born actor had ended his life on 14 June by hanging from the roof, and since then the case was being investigated by the Mumbai police. The initial probe centred around the role of the “Bollywood gang” which allegedly blocked his opportunities in the film industry. The case took a new twist when the dead actor’s family suddenly filed a case with the local Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna, around 2,000 kilometres from the place of occurrence, last week blaming financial fraud by actress Rhea Chakraborty, actor’s girlfriend, behind the suicide.