Rhea Chakraborty and Brother's Bank Accounts Unfrozen: Court Ruling Explained

Court Decision on Rhea Chakraborty's Accounts

Mumbai: A special court in Mumbai has ruled to unfreeze the bank accounts of actress Rhea Chakraborty and her brother, who were implicated in a drug-related case. This decision was made due to the Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) failure to adhere to necessary legal procedures outlined in the NDPS Act.

The NCB had previously frozen their accounts as part of an investigation into drug-related activities associated with the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Rhea and her brother Showik, represented by attorney Ayaz Khan, contended that the NCB did not comply with the required procedures under Section 68F of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which governs the seizure or freezing of assets.

The prosecution argued against their application, citing Rhea's alleged statements as proof of her involvement in a drug syndicate and her connections with drug dealers. They maintained that freezing the accounts was a necessary step taken by the investigating officer.

However, Special NDPS Court Judge U C Deshmukh found merit in the defense's argument, stating that according to Section 68F(2) of the NDPS Act, any order to freeze or seize property must receive confirmation from a competent authority within 30 days.

If such confirmation is not provided, the order becomes legally void.

The court highlighted that the NCB did not dispute the lack of compliance with this mandatory provision.

Consequently, referencing a high court ruling and the stipulations of Section 68F of the NDPS Act, the court granted the application for unfreezing the accounts.

The special court instructed the immediate unfreezing of the bank accounts, allowing the siblings to manage them in accordance with Reserve Bank of India regulations.

The NCB has been investigating alleged drug use within Bollywood and the television industry following the tragic death of Sushant Singh Rajput.

The 34-year-old actor was discovered deceased in his Bandra apartment on June 14, 2020.