Rhea Chakraborty gets relief in Sushant Singh Rajput case: What court said on unfreezing bank accounts and what it means

In a major relief for Rhea Chakraborty, a special NDPS court in Mumbai has ordered the unfreezing of bank accounts linked to her, her brother Showik Chakraborty and their mother Sandhya. The accounts had been frozen by the Narcotics Control Bureau in 2020 during its probe into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput.

Here’s a breakdown of what happened, why the court intervened, and what lies ahead for the actress.

Following Sushant Singh Rajput’s death in 2020, the NCB launched an investigation into a possible drug angle in the case. The agency alleged the existence of a larger drug network within Bollywood and named several individuals, including Rhea and her brother.

As part of the probe, multiple bank accounts linked to the Chakraborty family were frozen, with the agency claiming alleged links to drug dealers. A chargesheet was also filed, pointing to a wider conspiracy. Several celebrities were questioned during the investigation.

In four separate orders passed on Saturday, the NDPS court observed a crucial procedural lapse. It noted that the NCB failed to obtain approval from the competent authority within the time frame mandated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Because of this, the court held that the continued freezing of the accounts was not legally valid.

Calling it a “serious lapse,” the court said the law clearly limits the power to freeze property and that those safeguards were not followed in this case. It allowed the petitions filed by Rhea and her family and directed that the accounts be unfrozen and operated as per Reserve Bank of India guidelines.

The court also referred to a Bombay High Court judgment, emphasising that the power to freeze property is not absolute.

It underlined that authorities must have a clear “reason to believe” that the property is linked to illegal activity and must report and confirm such actions within a stipulated time. Failure to do so, the court said, renders the action invalid.

Notably, the court did not examine the merits of the allegations against Rhea or her family, focusing purely on whether due legal procedure was followed.

This is not the first legal relief for Rhea. Last year, the Central Bureau of Investigation gave her a clean chit, ruling out foul play in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and stating it was a suicide.

In another significant development, the Bombay High Court had ordered the return of her passport, easing travel restrictions imposed during her bail period.

Reacting to that, Rhea had shared, “Patience was my only passport for the past 5 years. Countless battles. Endless hope. Today, I hold my passport again. Ready for my Chapter 2! Satyameva Jayate.”

On the work front, Rhea is set to return with a new project by filmmaker Hansal Mehta. She revealed that she initially hesitated to take it up.

“Hansal sir and the writer asked me what was stopping me. I told them I had left acting and they said that’s all the more reason I should do it… Now I’m glad I said yes. It was different coming on set; such a long life has been lived in the last seven years. It’s like cycling—something you never forget,” she had shared in an interview with Hindustan Times.