The judicial custody of Bollywood actor Rhea Chakaborty, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with his investigation into the angle of drugs in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, will end on Tuesday. Chakaborty’s brother Showik and former Rajput manager Samuel Miranda will also be brought before the court along with the 28-year-old actor and 17 other people arrested in the case.
NCB has stated that Chakaborty and his brother financed and procured medicines for Rajputs on their instructions. The actor, however, maintains that she is innocent. She has alleged that she has been falsely implicated in the case and was coerced by the central agency into making “self-incriminating” confessions.
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court (HC) has reserved its verdict on the bail petition filed by Chakroborty, Showik and other co-defendants in the drug case. NCB contested his request saying that a strong message must be sent to society, especially young people, to ensure that they do not use drugs.
He added that the Chakroborty brothers and others arrested in the drug case were “active members of a drug syndicate” and vowed to go to the roots of the case, a branch of the investigation into the death of film star Sushant Singh Rajput in June.
A special court rejected Chakroborty’s declaration of bail, saying that if the actor was released on bail, he could alert others and destroy the evidence. The arrests have been made under article 27A of the NDPS Act, which provides for punishment for financing illicit trafficking and sheltering offenders.
Rajput was found dead in his apartment in Mumbai’s Bandra on June 14. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating his death while the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is investigating the money laundering angle.
(With contributions from the agency)
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