Mumbai: NCB files draft charges against Rhea Chakraborty, others in drugs case linked to actor's death

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The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday filed draft charges against actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and others before a special court in connection with a drugs case linked to Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput's death. Special public prosecutor Atul Sarpande said the prosecution maintained charges against all the accused as mentioned in the charge-sheet filed before the court.

The prosecution has proposed the court to charge Rhea and Showik for consumption of narcotic substances and also for procuring and paying for such substances for deceased actor Rajput. Sarpande said the court was scheduled to frame charges against all the accused. However, it couldn't be done as a few of the accused moved discharge applications.

The court has said that the charges would be framed only after the discharge pleas are decided, he said. All the accused, including Rhea and Showing, were present before the court on Wednesday.

Special judge V G Raghuwanshi, hearing cases pertaining to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, posted the matter for hearing on July 12. Chakraborty was arrested in the case in September 2020. She was granted bail by the Bombay High Court almost a month after her arrest.

Besides Rhea, her brother Showik Chakraborty and several others are also arraigned as accused in the case for alleged consumption, possession and financing of drugs. Most of them are out on bail. The central agency has been probing the alleged drug use in Bollywood and television industry following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, who was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14, 2020.

The CBI is probing the case pertaining to his death.