Bombay High Court grants bail to Rhea Chakraborty, rejects Showik Chakraborty’s plea

Mumbai, October 7

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to actress Rhea Chakraborty in a drugs case in actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, but with strict conditions, including appearing before Mumbai Police for 10 days and before the NCB once in a month for the next six months.

It also directed her to submit a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and not to tamper with evidence while out on bail.

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A Bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal also granted bail to Rajput’s aides Dipesh Sawant and Samuel Miranda, but rejected the bail plea of Rhea’s brother Showik Chakraborty, who is also an accused in the case being probed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The court also rejected the bail plea of alleged drug peddler Abdel Basit Parihar. The court said Rhea could not be said to have financed or harboured illicit drug trafficking as alleged by the Central agency.

The court also observed that she did not have any criminal antecedents, and it was unlikely that she could affect the probe or tamper with evidence while out on bail.

Rhea also can’t leave Mumbai without the NCB’s permission and without giving her itinerary for such travel to the Central agency.

The HC said simply paying for a particular drug transaction does not qualify as financing (illicit drug traffic), as described under the Act. “The allegations against the applicant of spending money in procuring drugs for Sushant will not, therefore, mean that she had financed illicit traffic,” the court said.

The court also dismissed the NCB’s argument that Rhea’s bail be rejected to send out a strong message to the society.

“Everybody is equal before law. No celebrity or role model enjoys any special privilege before the court of law,” Justice Kotwal said. — PTI