Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 27: A special court in Mumbai has ordered the defreezing of the bank accounts of actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty in connection with a drugs case, citing procedural lapses by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The NCB had frozen the accounts during its probe into a drug-related case linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Appearing for the siblings, advocate Ayaz Khan argued that the NCB failed to comply with mandatory procedural requirements under Section 68F of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which governs the seizure or freezing of properties.

The prosecution opposed the plea, claiming that Chakraborty’s statements indicated her alleged involvement in a drug syndicate and contacts with peddlers. It maintained that freezing the accounts was a necessary step in the investigation.

However, Special NDPS Court Judge U C Deshmukh found merit in the defence’s arguments. The court observed that under Section 68F(2) of the NDPS Act, any order to freeze or seize property must be confirmed by a competent authority within 30 days, failing which it becomes legally invalid.

The court noted that the NCB did not deny non-compliance with this mandatory provision. Citing relevant legal provisions and a high court ruling, the judge held that the application deserved to be allowed.

Accordingly, the court directed the immediate defreezing of the bank accounts and permitted the siblings to operate them in accordance with RBI rules and regulations.

The NCB has been investigating alleged drug use in Bollywood and the television industry following the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his residence in Mumbai’s Bandra area on June 14, 2020.