Rhea Chakraborty Gets Relief As Court Defreezes Bank Accounts In Drugs Investigation Case

A Special NDPS Court in Mumbai has ordered the defreezing of bank accounts belonging to actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, and their mother, in connection with a drug-related investigation linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020.

The court held that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) failed to comply with mandatory legal safeguards under the NDPS Act , making the freezing action legally unsustainable.

The accounts had been frozen during the investigation into alleged drug use in the film industry following Rajput’s death on June 14, 2020. The probe was part of a wider investigation into alleged drug networks in Bollywood.

The defence, represented by advocate Ayaz Khan, argued that the NCB did not follow the statutory procedure under Section 68F of the NDPS Act , which requires that any order of seizure or freezing of property must be confirmed by a competent authority within 30 days .

The court observed that this mandatory requirement was not fulfilled and noted that the agency itself did not dispute the lack of compliance. Citing a Bombay High Court precedent , the judge held that such procedural safeguards are essential to validate coercive actions like freezing of bank accounts.

The prosecution had opposed the plea, claiming that Chakraborty’s alleged statements indicated involvement with individuals linked to drug trafficking and that the freezing was necessary for the investigation.

However, the court ruled that failure to obtain timely statutory approval rendered the action invalid. It emphasised that the power to freeze property is not absolute and must strictly follow legal conditions.

Accordingly, the court directed the immediate defreezing of all bank accounts , allowing the family to operate them under RBI regulations .

Recent reports also clarify that the court order covered multiple accounts across different banks , and in some filings included accounts of Rhea, Showik, and their mother. Some earlier accounts had been temporarily restored in past proceedings, but fresh applications led to the latest consolidated relief.

The NCB’s investigation into alleged drug use in the entertainment industry continues as part of the broader probe initiated after the 2020 death of Sushant Singh Rajput.