A Mumbai NDPS court ordered the defreezing of bank accounts of Rhea Chakraborty and her brother, citing failure by the NCB to follow mandatory legal procedures. The court noted that no confirmation order was obtained within the required timeframe.

Mumbai, April 25: The special NDPS court on Saturday ordered the defreezing of bank accounts held by actress Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik, which were seized by the NCB in 2020 while probing a drug trail linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The court ruled the agency failed to follow mandatory procedures.

Defence cites procedural lapses

The siblings had moved the special court through their lawyers Ayaz Khan and Zehra Charania, claiming the agency failed to comply with legal protocols.

The defence contended that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) did not follow the provisions of Section 68F of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which pertains to the seizure or freezing of illegally acquired property. They argued that the freezing of the accounts was, therefore, illegal.