Rhea Chakraborty's bank accounts unfrozen, gadgets returned after 14 months

After almost 14 months, a special anti-drugs court has ordered the unfreezing of actress Rhea Chakraborty's bank accounts. The court has also permitted the return of her laptop and mobile phone, following a plea that the actress has filed in the special court requesting access to her bank accounts and electronic gadgets.

Rhea must however furnish an indemnity bond of ₹ 1 lakh for the return of her laptop and mobile phone. She cannot even discard or sell the phone and the laptop till the investigation is over, the court ordered.

Rhea Chakraborty and her brother were among over two dozen people arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on September 8 last year over allegations of arranging drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput. Rajput, a 34-year-old movie star was found dead in his Mumbai home on June 14. Her bank accounts were frozen a few days later.

The CBI had later taken over the case after Mr Rajput's father KK Singh accused the 29-year-old actress of mentally harassing the actor, medicating him, and stealing from him. The actress had to spend 28 days in jail while her brother Showik spent nearly three months before being granted bail.

Advocate Nikhil Maneshinde, appearing for the actress, argued the matter would take time for disposal and it was not necessary to freeze the bank accounts.

Special public prosecutor Atul Sarpande, representing the anti-drugs agency, said the financial investigation in the case was going on and the investigation could be hampered if the accounts were unfrozen.

"From the reply of the (NCB) officer, it appears that there is no strong objection from the respondent side for unfreezing the bank account and FDs (fixed deposits) of the applicant," the court said while accepting Ms Chakraborty's plea. 

NCB accused Chakraborty of being "an active member of a drugs syndicate" and financing drugs for use by Rajput, her boyfriend. The brother-sister duo had bought drugs, according to the anti-drugs agency, not for their own use but to supply them to Mr Rajput, which is "a more serious offense" related to the funding of drugs.