Nearly 3 months after arrest, Rhea Chakraborty’s brother Showik granted bail

Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty’s brother Showik, arrested in a drugs case linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been granted bail by a special court today.

The 24-year old was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on September 4.

Chakraborty’s first bail plea had been rejected by the court. In his second bail plea, he had cited the recent SC ruling which said that statements to NCB officers are not admissible as evidence.

“The Supreme Court, in its recent order rightly held that the officers who are invested with powers under section NDPS Act (pertaining to the current case) are police Officers within the meaning of section 25 of the Evidence Act. As a result, any confessional statement made to them cannot be taken into account in order to convict an accused under the NDPS Act,” Showik said in his plea.

As per section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act, no confession made to a police officer shall be proved as against a person accused of any offence, it said.

The agency alleged that Rhea and Showik used to facilitate drug deliveries and payment through credit cards, cash and other payment gateways.

The NCB is probing multiple drug angles linked to Singh’s death.

It began its investigation after the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which was probing money laundering charges linked to Rajput’s death case, shared some social media chats retrieved from Rhea Chakraborty’s mobile phone, hinting at the alleged use of banned drugs.

Rhea, who was also arrested by the NCB in September, was released on bail in October.

Rajput was found hanging at his residence in suburban Bandra on June 14, 2020.