Bombay HC grants bail to Rhea Chakraborty in drugs case, rejects plea of brother Showik

On Wednesday Bombay HC granted bail to actress Rhea Chakraborty, arrested over drugs-related charges in actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case.

A bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal granted bail to Bollywood actresses Riya Chakraborty, Dipesh Sawant and Samuel Miranda in cases registered against them under the NDPS Act. However, the court rejected the bail pleas of Abdul Parihar and Showik Chakraborty.  Both of them are also accused in the cases registered by the NCB under the NDPS Act.

While ordering Riya Chakraborty to be released on bail, the court said that he would have to pay a personal bond of Rs one lakh along with other conditions.

According to the conditions imposed by the court, Riya Chakraborty will have to attend daily police station for 10 days after release on bail.  Riya will be prohibited from leaving the country.

Deepesh Sawant and Samuel Miranda will have to pay a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each for bail and both have also been ordered to confiscate their passports.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing on behalf of NCB, requested the court to stop the implementation of this order.  This request was rejected by the court.

Advocate Satish Manshinde, on behalf of Riya Chakraborty, requested for a month’s time to give a bond of one lakh rupees for bail, which was accepted by the court.

 Riya Chakraborty, Showik Chakraborty, Abdul Basit Parihar, Samuel Miranda and Deepesh Sawant filed applications in the High Court after the bail plea was rejected from the special court of NDPS in Mumbai.

Advocates Satish Manashinde, Tariq Syed, Subodh Desai and Rajendra Rathore argued on behalf of the accused said that the NCB had no authority to investigate the matter as the Supreme Court had ordered in the August 19, 2020 order that all investigations related to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput be handed over to the CBI.

Advocate Singh, on behalf of the NCB, argued that the Narcotics Crime Bureau had the authority to investigate the matter.  He said that the NCB has enough evidence to prove that the accused are part of a larger drug gang.

By Priya Kumari