On Friday, 5 March, the Narcotics Control Bureau filed its chargesheet in an alleged drug case filed after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput last year. According to a report by The Indian Express, the NCB has named 33 people in the chargesheet, including Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, Agisilaos Demetriades (Arjun Rampal's partner's brother), and Kshitij Prasad, former Dharmatic Entertainment employee.
The report states that in the over 11,000-page chargesheet, the NCB has claimed that a packet of ganja was delivered for Rajput at Rhea's Mumbai residence in 2019. Because she took its delivery, facilitated its consumption by Rajput and made payments, that made her an active member of the drug syndicate, the investigative agency reportedly said.
The NCB has also reportedly claimed in the chargesheet that the drug delivery was made with Rhea’s consent, she facilitated the use of her house for drug consumption, thereby violating provisions of the NDPS Act. She also financed an activity related to illicit drug dealings by providing funds to purchase drugs, the agency said.
Rhea Chakraborty and her brother were arrested by the NCB in the alleged drug case. They are currently out on bail.
The NCB started probing the case after the Enforcement Directorate shared alleged chats found on Rhea's phone.
The NCB has reportedly included statements of 200 witnesses in its chargesheet. It claimed that drugs were purchased by Rajput through Rhea, Showik, his manager Samuel Miranda and his cook Dipesh Sawant and that Rajput and Rhea paid for it.
It alleged that there were bank transactions up to Rs 7000 between Showik and other alleged drug dealers.
Rhea's Lawyer's Claims
Reacting to NCB's reported claims in the chargesheet Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said in a statement, "The 12,000 page chargesheet was expected. All efforts of NCB have been directed towards Rhea Chakraborty to some how rope her in. The amount of "narcotic substances" "recovered“ against the 33 accused are nothing compared to what even a constable in Mumbai Police or Narcotics Cell or the Airport Customs or other agencies recover from one raid or trap. The entire NCB from top to bottom was engaged in unearthing a drug angle in Bollywood but there’s hardly any material against any known faces who were paraded during the investigations. The chargesheet is a damp squib standing on the the foundation of inadmissible evidence and statements recorded under section 67 of the NDPS Act even after the Supreme Court Judgement in Toofan Singh Judgement. Without Rhea Chakraborty being Charged this case has no substance".
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
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