Rhea Chakraborty news: A special court in Mumbai has approved to defreeze the bank accounts belonging to Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik Chakraborty and their mother Sandhya Chakraborty in the probe into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Notably, the bank accounts had been frozen by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in 2020 while probing the circumstances surrounding Rajput’s death. 

Rhea Chakraborty news: Court flags lapses in procedure

The bank accounts in question were part of a wider probe under the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Although some bank accounts had been released earlier in 2021, the Chakraborty family recently approached the court, seeking access to additional bank accounts held with private banks. 

The applicants were represented by advocates Ayaz Khan and Zehra Charania, who contended that the NCB had failed to comply with the provisions of the Section 68F of the NDPS Act. As per the law, any freezing or seizure of assets linked to drug trafficking must be confirmed by a Competent Authority within a stipulated timeframe. 

During the hearing, Ayaz submitted that this requirement had not been fulfilled in relation to the four accounts frozen by the wing. 

Prosecution objects to the plea

Meanwhile, the prosecution, led by Additional Public Prosecutor Geeta Nayyar,  opposed the application, maintaining that the action taken by the NCB was justified. It argued that statements recorded during the probe suggested that Chakraborty was linked to individuals involved in drug-related activities. 

Despite the claims, Special Judge UC Deshmukh upheld that the due procedure had not been followed. The court underscored that as per the NDPS Act, such freezing orders must be ratified within 30 days to be deemed valid. 

The judge emphasised that the absence of compliance with statutory provisions rendered the continued freezing of the bank accounts untenable. Consequently, the court allowed the plea, leading to the defreezing of the accounts.

No official response from Rhea, her kin

Following the court’s directives, neither Rhea Chakraborty nor her family has issued an official statement. On the professional front, the actor is buckling up for a return with an upcoming series directed by Hansal Mehta. She said that initially, she had declined the offer, but the filmmaker and the writing team persuaded her to take up the role.

She further described her return to the set as a deeply emotional experience, noting that the past seven years had been transformative. She also credited one of her close friends, singer-actor Shibani Dandekar, for standing by her during the controversy that followed after Rajput’s death.

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