Custody not needed, satisfied with Rhea's statement, says NCB

Rhea Chakraborty arrives at the NCB office in Ballard Estate on Tuesday morning. Pic/Suresh Karkera

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), investigating the drugs angle in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, arrested actress Rhea Chakraborty on Tuesday on charges of procuring drugs and looking into its financial transactions. Rhea's arrest comes after 22 hours of questioning over three days as part of FIR number 16/2020. The agency has not sought her custody as it claimed to be 'satisfied' with her statements, but opposed her bail application. However, the NCB is yet to make any progress in FIR number 15/2020.

The court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate rejected Rhea's bail application after which she was taken to the Byculla women's prison on Tuesday.

Ashok Jain, deputy director general of the Narcotics Control Bureau. Pic/Ashish Raje

Director general of NCB, Mutha Ashok Jain said, "We haven't asked for her custody as we are fully satisfied with her statement and we cross-examined her along with the accused in our custody. The arrest has been made in FIR 16/2020. Whatever she revealed during the three-day interrogation was enough to arrest her. The evidence will be put before the court."

According to the NCB remand application, Rhea was arrested based on statements given by Showik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda and Deepesh Sawant. All of them have confessed to procuring drugs for Rhea and Sushant, and in their statements they have also mentioned that the duo used to give them instructions.

Rhea Chakraborty

According to NCB, Showik revealed that he used to facilitate the delivery of drugs through peddler Abdel Basit Parihar by Kaizan Ebrahim and Zaid Vilatra. These deliveries used to be received by Miranda and Rhea was aware of the payments. Sometimes she used to confirm the choice of drugs as well. Miranda told NCB that he used to procure the drugs on Sushant's and Rhea's directions and the duo used to deal with the financial part as well.

Also Read: Rhea Chakraborty was in love with a drug addict, says her lawyer after actress' arrest

Sawant disclosed that he used to receive drugs for Sushant on his directions and many times even Rhea used to give him instructions.

Sushant Singh Rajput's manager Uday Singh Gauri leaves DRDO after questioning by CBI in connection with the actor's death

In its remand application, NCB mentioned, "Rhea revealed her involvement in procurement of drugs and its financial transactions. She has also said that she had given instructions to Miranda, Sawant and Showik in this regard. It is clear from her statement that she is an active member of the drug syndicate. Also, she used to procure drugs for Sushant and manage the financial transactions along with him."

Charges against Rhea

The actress has been arrested under sections 27A (punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders) 21 (punishment for contravention in relation to manufactured drugs and preparations) 22 (punishment for contravention in relation to psychotropic substances) 28 (punishment for attempts to commit offences) 29 (punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy) 8(c) 20 (b)(ii) of NDPS Act.

Speaking to mid-day, Rhea's lawyer Advocate Satish Maneshinde said, "Travesty of justice. Three Central agencies hounding a single woman just because she was in love with a drug addict who was suffering from mental health issues for several years under the care of five leading psychiatrists in Mumbai. He used drugs and ended up committing suicide due to consumption of illegally administered medicines."

After her arrest, Rhea was taken to Sion hospital for a medical checkup and COVID-19 test, which came negative. Them she was produced before court via video conferencing.

SSR's sisters, doctor booked

Meanwhile, based on Rhea's complaint, the Bandra Police have registered an FIR against Sushant's sisters Priyanka Singh and Meetu Singh and Dr. Tarun Kumar of RML Hospital, Delhi. All three have been booked under sections 420 (cheating) 464 (making a false document) 465 (punishment for forgery) 466 (forgery of record of court or of public register, etc) 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) 474 (having possession of document described in section 466 or 467, knowing it to be forged and intending to use it as genuine) 306 (abetment of suicide) 120B (criminal conspiracy) 34 (common intentions) of IPC and section 8(1), 21, 22, 29 of NDPS Act.

"The case has been registered based on Rhea's complaint. The matter has been transferred to CBI as per the Supreme Court order," said DCP N Ambika, spokesperson, Mumbai Police. Rhea in her complaint has claimed that Sushant's sister Priyanka illegally procured a prescription for depression and anxiety and gave it to Sushant, knowing that the actor was already consulting senior doctors in Mumbai.

Maneshinde further said, "Rhea has set the criminal law in motion by filing her complaint with Bandra Police. The cocktail of illegally administered medicines and drugs may have lead to SSR's suicide. His sisters should be answerable to the investigators and God."

"CBI will investigate if the doctor is criminally culpable or otherwise. The drugs administered are prohibited psychotropic substances. The Bandra FIR has been transferred to CBI as per the SC order," he added.

However, speaking to the media, Sushant's father's lawyer, Vikas Singh said, "It looks like the Bandra police station has become Rhea's second home. She runs to it for every small thing and takes refuge there. The FIR lodged by the Bandra Police is absolutely baseless and illegal." "Whatever Rhea is trying to say through the FIR, she could have given it in a statement to the CBI. The second FIR is absolutely invalid in accordance with the order of the SC and is in direct violation," Singh added.

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