NCB moves SC challenging Rhea Chakraborty's bail in drug probe; hearing on March 18

Challenging Bombay High Court's verdict granting actress Rhea Chakraborty bail in the NCB drug probe, the drug enforcement agency has moved the Supreme Court. The case will be heard by an SC-bench led by CJI S A Bobade on March 18. The NCB has filed a 12,000-page chargesheet in the drug probe into several Bollywood celebrities - naming Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik.

NCB challenges Rhea's bail; moves SC

The NCB has named 33 persons in its chargesheet, mentioning Rhea Chakraborty and her transactions from her one HDFC bank account for allegedly procuring drugs. Claiming Rhea's 'direct role and connivance', NCB mentioned that the delivery was also made to her residence. She has also been charged as a co-conspirator along with her brother Showik Chakraborty in the case, who has been accused of being in touch with peddlers and procuring drugs 'financed' by Rhea. NCB has mentioned that over the months of repeated raids at the houses of several A-listers, 7 kgs of narcotics have been recovered with a market value of Rs 35 lakhs. NCB has chargesheeted Rhea citing 'enough evidence' and placing on record her Whatsapp chats, financial transactions in her direct role in the purchase of the drugs.

The drug probe initiated from the Sushant Rajput death probe, when several WhatsApp messages between Rhea, KWAN talent manager Jaya Saha and others discussing about marijuana and Cannabidiol (CBD) were found. NCB arrested Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, as well as several alleged drug peddler - for procurement and financing of narcotic substances. On October 7, Rhea was granted bail after the Bombay High Court ruled that she 'could not be said to have financed or harboured illicit drug trafficking' and observed ' that she did not have any criminal antecedents', maintaining that it was unlikely that she could affect the probe or tamper with evidence while out on bail.

Sushant Singh Rajput death

34-year-old actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14, sending shockwaves throughout the nation. While Mumbai police had initially ruled his death as 'suicide by hanging', the investigation was countered by Rajput's family which alleged foul play in his death. Demanding a CBI probe into his death, the family alleged that Rajput's girlfriend - Rhea Chakraborty was involved in  'abetment to suicide, cheating, and conspiracy' - filing an FIR in Bihar. The CBI, which took over the case is still probing, with the AIIMS panel filing its report on Rajput's autopsy to it.