Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar met deceased actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s father Krishna Kishore Singh at his official residence here on Wednesday, the visit being seen in political circles as a move to attract voters of the Rajput community from which the family hails.

Krishna Kishore had come with his daughter Mitu Singh to Nitish’s residence at 1, Aney Marg to thank the chief minister for supporting their quest for justice for Sushant, who was found dead in his flat in Mumbai on June 14.

Sushant’s father told Nitish that the CBI probe would not have been possible without his intervention and that Mumbai police would have taken the case into a completely different direction. “The probe is going on now. It had faltered earlier,” Krishna Kishore said.

Nitish told Sushant’s father that his government had waited for his permission and concurrence to recommend the CBI probe.

“We had thought that the all-India agency would be able to do better than somebody (Bihar police) from the state. They started the work,” Nitish said. “There was no cooperation from them (Mumbai police). An IPS officer was sent, but was quarantined. There were several issues.”

Sources said Nitish told Sushant’s family members that he had “thought there was something wrong when the police officer was quarantined. And the Shiv Sena leaders were attacking me. So when Sushant’s father demanded a CBI probe, I recommended it”.

Sushant’s case shot to limelight after his father registered an FIR in Patna against actor Rhea Chakraborty, her family members and others for abetment of suicide, cheating and criminal breach of trust. Nitish had not met or visited Krishna Kishore after Sushant’s death. At that time, Krishna Kishore had thanked Nitish for intervening and getting the FIR registered when the police were not keen.

The political connotations of the meeting could not be missed as Bihar is scheduled to go to polls in October–November. Around 6 per cent of the electorate in Bihar are Rajputs.

With a plethora of alliances ready to contest the Assembly elections and a strong resentment against the ruling NDA among certain sections of voters, votes belonging to every category are going to play a crucial role in the results.

Nitish’s photograph with Sushant’s father is already circulating on media and social media platforms, sending a strong message that he cares about the case.

A senior JDU leader defended Nitish’s action and said, “The BJP came out with posters, stickers and masks bearing Sushant’s pictures to keep the issue alive. What is wrong in our chief minister meeting the victim’s family members? Everybody knows that he has done a lot to ensure that justice is done to the deceased actor. Our party stands with his family.”