SSR case: Court orders defreezing of Rhea Chakraborty's bank accounts
What's the story
A special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court in Mumbai has ordered the defreezing of bank accounts belonging to actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, and their mother Sandhya. The accounts were frozen by the Narcotics Control Bureau in 2020 during its investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. While some of Chakraborty's accounts were defreezed in 2021, she and her family recently filed new applications to release funds in ICICI, Axis, and Kotak banks.
Legal proceedings
NCB failed to obtain confirmation from competent authority: Court
The court found that the NCB failed to obtain confirmation from a competent authority within the timeframe stipulated under the NDPS Act, making the freeze legally unsustainable. The court observed, "Sub-section (2) of Section 68 F of the Act provides that an order of freezing or seizing the property shall have no effect unless it is confirmed by the competent authority within 30 days of its being made."
Disputed grounds
Court did not delve into drug syndicate allegations
The NCB opposed the application, arguing that Chakraborty was an active member of a drug syndicate and thus, her bank accounts were frozen, as reported by India Today. However, the court did not delve into these allegations, focusing instead on the statutory defect in the freezing process. It ruled that non-compliance with mandatory requirements was enough to invalidate the action.
Judicial impact
CBI filed closure report in SSR's case last year
The court's decision underscores the importance of adhering to statutory safeguards when freezing property under the NDPS Act. It also highlights that such powers must be exercised in accordance with constitutional protections and cannot be exercised arbitrarily. Rajput, who was in a relationship with fellow actor Chakraborty, was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14, 2020. In March 2025, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ruled out any foul play in his death in its closure report.