New Dehi, September 7 : Rhea Chakraborty has been summoned by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for further questioning in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case today (September 7), a second time after she was first called in on Sunday (September 6).
This comes after Rhea’s brother, Showik Chakraborty was arrested in the drug peddling angle in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. In Sunday’s interrogation, Rhea admitted that she was procuring drugs for Sushant through her brother Showik. Sources revealed that Rhea Chakraborty told NCB officials she knew about Samuel Miranda, Sushant’s house manager, who went to buy drugs from Zaid Vilatra, a Bandra-based peddler who was nabbed by the NCB, on March 17.
According to her confession, Rhea not only knew about the deal, but she was also coordinating with Zaid along with her brother Showik Chakraborty. Rhea, Showik and several others, along with the drug peddling angle came to the fore after WhatsApp chats from March 15, exchanged between Samuel, Showik and few others surfaced. During his interrogation, Sushant Singh Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda had also confessed to the NCB that he used to arrange for marijuana for the late actor from September 2019 to March 2020. Rhea goes in for a second round of questioning today by the NCB.
Rhea Chakraborty’s questioning by the NCB concludes after 8 hours
Rhea Chakraborty steps outside after questioning by the NCB. The actress was grilled for eight hours by the Narcotics Control Bureau today (September 7). Rhea has been summoned by the NCB for questioning again tomorrow.
No arrest today, Rhea Chakraborty summoned by NCB again tomorrow
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has summoned Rhea Chakraborty for questioning again tomorrow (September 8). The Mumbai Police team that escorts Rhea has also been alerted. Rhea Chakraborty reached the NCB office for questioning at 9:32 am today. The actress was grilled by the NCB yesterday as well.
Sections and punishments of NCB’s FIR against Rhea Chakraborty explained
The NCB had earlier registered a first information report (FIR) against Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik Chakraborty, talent manager Jaya Saha, Sushant Singh Rajput’s former manager Shruti Modi and Gaurav Arya under Sections 20, 22, 27 and 29 of the Narcotics Drugs and Pyschotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Section 20 of the NDPS Act prescribes punishment for anyone who cultivates, produces, manufactures, possesses, sells, purchases, transports, imports inter-state, exports inter-state or uses cannabis.
Section 22 of the NDPS Act states that whoever, in contravention of any provision of this Act or any rule or order made or condition of licence granted thereunder, manufactures, possesses, sells, purchases, transports, imports inter-State, exports inter-State or uses any psychotropic substance shall be punishable,
(a) Where the contravention involves small quantity, with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to Rs10,000, or with both
(b) Where the contravention involves quantity lesser than commercial quantity but greater than small quantity, with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years and with fine which may extend to Rs1 lakh
(c) Where the contravention involves commercial quantity, with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 10 years but which may extend to 20 years and shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than Rs1 lakh but which may extend to Rs2 lakh: Provided that the court may, for reasons to be recorded in the judgment, impose a fine exceeding Rs2 lakh
Section 27 of the NDPS Act states that whoever, consumes any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance shall be punishable,
(a) Where the narcotic drug or psychotropic substance consumed is cocaine, morphine, diacetyl-morphine or any other narcotic drug or any psychotropic substance as may be specified in this behalf by the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette, with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to Rs20,000; or with both
(b) Where the narcotic drug or psychotropic substance consumed is other than those specified in or under clause (a), with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to Rs10,000, or with both.
Section 29 of the NDPS Act prescribes punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy
1. Whoever abets, or is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable under this Chapter, shall, whether such offence be or be not committed in consequence of such abetment or in pursuance of such criminal conspiracy, and notwithstanding anything contained in section 116 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), be punishable with the punishment provided for the offence.
2. A person abets, or is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit, an offence, within the meaning of this section, who, in India abets or is a party to the criminal conspiracy to the commission of any act in a place without and beyond India which—
1. Would constitute an offence if committed within India; or
2. Under the laws of such place, is an offence relating to narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances having all the legal conditions required to constitute it such an offence the same as or analogous to the legal conditions required to constitute it an offence punishable under this Chapter, if committed within India.
Meanwhile, Rhea Chakraborty is being questioned by the NCB for the second time today. The actress was also questioned on Sunday. The NCB is probing the drug angle in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. For their further investigation, the NCB has made a list of all the drug peddlers who were in touch with Rhea Chakraborty. The investigation agency will also gather information about Rhea, Sushant and Showik’s friends to get more details on the matter.
The NCB will examine call record details of Rhea, Showik, Sushant and Jaya Saha, whose WhatsApp chats with Rhea hinted at the drug conspiracy angle in Sushant’s death case.
Drug peddlers, who have been held by the Mumbai and Pune Police in the last two years are on NCB’s radar. They will also be questioned to get more clues. The NCB will also scrutinise the data of all the rave parties that were organised in Mumbai in the last two years.
The NCB will also look into:
(1) Rhea’s travel history
(2) Parties thrown by the actress
(3) All the restaurant she visited
(4) All the hotels visited by Rhea
(5) The name of Ayash Khan, a Dubai based drug dealer, has come in the reports. The NCB will also examine his role in the matter. (Source : Indiatoday.in)
