Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty was called "a gold digger" and "a murderer". She was slut-shamed and spent 27 days in prison after a hate-filled vicious media campaign in 2020 alleged she had been involved in the death of her actor boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput.

Now, India's federal investigators have told a court that Rajput, a rising star in India's popular Hindi film industry, died by suicide and that neither Chakraborty nor her family had a role in his death.

In a statement shared with the BBC, senior lawyer Satish Maneshinde, who fought Chakraborty's case, said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had "thoroughly investigated every aspect of the case from all angles and closed it". 

The findings have been presented in a special court in Mumbai, which will now decide whether to close the case or to order further investigation.

Mr Maneshinde said Chakraborty went through "untold miseries" and was jailed "for no fault of hers".

"The false narrative in the social media and electronic media was totally uncalled for," he said, calling on media bosses to "reflect upon what they did". 

"Innocent people were hounded and paraded before the media and investigative authorities. I hope this does not repeat in any case."

Feminist lawyer Payal Chawla, meanwhile, described the "misogynistic narrative surrounding Chakraborty" as "deeply troubling" and said the case "should serve as a cautionary reminder of the perils of being judgmental". 

Chakraborty herself has offered no comment since news of CBI wanting to close the case broke at the weekend. On Monday, she was seen visiting a temple along with her brother and father - who were also named in a police complaint filed over Rajput's death. 

Perhaps the only sign that the family feel vindicated comes from her brother Showik - who spent three months in prison before being freed on bail. He shared a photo with Rhea and the caption "Satyamev Jayate" - Sanskrit for "truth alone prevails".