Mumbai Court Allows Access to Rhea Chakraborty’s Bank Accounts in Drugs Case

Mumbai- In a significant development, a special NDPS court in Mumbai has directed authorities to lift the freeze on bank accounts belonging to actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother, granting them permission to resume financial transactions.

The accounts had earlier been frozen by the Narcotics Control Bureau as part of its investigation into an alleged drug-related case that emerged following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020.

During the hearing, the siblings’ legal counsel argued that the agency did not comply with mandatory legal procedures outlined under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The defence pointed out that under Section 68F of the Act, any order to freeze assets must be validated by a competent authority within a stipulated 30-day period.

The prosecution opposed the plea, claiming that statements made during the investigation suggested the actor’s alleged involvement in a drug network, thereby justifying the freezing of her accounts.

However, Special NDPS Court Judge U.C. Deshmukh observed that there was no evidence of such mandatory confirmation being obtained within the prescribed timeframe. The court noted that failure to follow this requirement renders the freezing order legally unsustainable.

Citing relevant legal provisions and judicial precedents, the court ruled in favour of the applicants and ordered immediate defreezing of the accounts. It further allowed them to operate their accounts in accordance with banking regulations.

The case is part of a broader probe initiated by the NCB into alleged drug use in sections of the entertainment industry after Rajput was found dead at his residence in Mumbai’s Bandra area on June 14, 2020.