27 April,2026 03:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rhea Chakraborty. File Pic
A special court in Mumbai has directed the defreezing of bank accounts belonging to actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty in connection with a drugs case. The court cited procedural lapses by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, reported the PTI.
The NCB had frozen the siblings' bank accounts during its investigation into alleged drug use linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020. The probe extended into alleged drug-related activities within Bollywood and the television industry.
Represented by advocate Ayaz Khan, the Chakrabortys argued that the NCB failed to comply with mandatory provisions under Section 68F of the NDPS Act, 1985. This section governs the seizure or freezing of property and requires strict procedural adherence.
Special NDPS Court Judge U C Deshmukh observed that under Section 68F(2), any order to freeze or seize property must be confirmed by a "competent authority" within 30 days. Failure to secure such confirmation renders the order legally invalid. The court noted that the NCB did not dispute the lack of compliance with this requirement.
The prosecution opposed the plea, arguing that Chakraborty's alleged statements indicated her involvement in a drug network and justified the freezing of accounts. However, the court ruled that procedural non-compliance outweighed these claims.
In its ruling, the court allowed the application and ordered the immediate defreezing of the bank accounts. The siblings have been permitted to operate their accounts in accordance with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations.
Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his residence in Mumbai's Bandra area on 14 June 2020. His death triggered multiple investigations, including a high-profile probe into alleged drug use in the entertainment industry.
Last year, the Bombay High Court had in September reportedly directed to return the actress's passport that was seized earlier. Rhea had filed an application and her advocate had argued that the condition to submit her passport led to delays in Rhea's work, and that she had even missed several projects owing to the lack of a passport.
(with PTI inputs)
