The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has filed a case against Rhea Chakraborty and others, in connection with Sushan Singh Rajput death case, to probe their alleged dealings in banned drugs, after some of Rhea’s WhatsApp chats revealed conversations about the same.
Director-General, NCB, Rakesh Asthana told news agency ANI that a team has been formed and has left from Delhi for investigation in the matter. An NCB team from Mumbai has also been asked to start analyzing the network of drug peddlers in Mumbai. It has also been asked to look into the Bollywood network, he told ANI.
Rhea and three others have been booked under Sections 20, 22, 27 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) after an official reference received from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The sections prescribe a punishment between one year and 10 years and deal with violations of the law regarding cannabis and psychotropic substances, consumption of drugs, as well as abetment and criminal conspiracy. The sections in the NDPS act also make the punishment a non-bailable offense.
The ED reportedly has shared WhatsApp conversations from November 25, 2019 and April 4, 2020. Rhea and a few others are alleged to have had conversations regarding CBD oil, LSD, MDMA, and ganja.
Samuel Miranda, who worked as a staff member of Sushant Singh Rajput and has been questioned by the ED in connection with its probe into a money-laundering angle in the actor’s death, is also said to be involved in the case.
NCB DG Asthana told The Indian Express, “We have launched a formal investigation under the provisions of the NDPS to unearth the nexus of trafficking. We have formed a special investigation team (SIT) under the supervision of Deputy Director (Operations) KPS Malhotra and will probe all possible angles.”
Satish Maneshinde, Chakraborty's lawyer, has denied all charges, saying she had “never consumed drugs in her life” and that she is willing to take a blood test. Manishinde went on to say, “I am surprised that one more agency is getting involved in the case after the CBI and ED.”
The NCB, before filing the criminal case, is reported to have sought legal opinion on the same.
The ED, which is probing a money laundering angle into the death of Rajput, has questioned Rhea twice earlier and has obtained "deleted WhatsApp messages" after forensic examination of her phone.
The deleted messages, they said, allegedly indicate dealings in banned drugs and chats about the procurement and consumption of these drugs that includes cannabis.
Rhea has been questioned by the ED about these suspect drug deal messages deleted from her phone and her statement on these allegations has been recorded by it under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials said.
It is understood that the "deleted WhatsApp messages" pertain to Rhea purportedly talking to her friends and some of Rajput's domestic helpers about certain banned narcotics.