Rhea Chakraborty’s custody extended, files bail plea in HC

Actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik, both arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), on Tuesday filed an application in the Bombay high court seeking bail. Their lawyer, Satish Maneshinde, said the plea will be heard on Wednesday before a bench of justice Sarang Kotwal.

Rhea, 28, was arrested by the federal agency, which is probing the drugs angle in actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, on September 9. Her bail plea was rejected at that time by a special court and she was remanded to 14-day judicial custody. The special court on Tuesday extended her judicial custody till October 6.

According to NCB, Rhea and Showik financed and arranged drugs for Rajput at his instructions. NCB has so far arrested over 10 people in the case. Rhea says she is innocent, falsely implicated in the case, and was coerced into making “self-incriminatory” confessions by the NCB. The agency, meanwhile, summoned Bollywood talent management KWAN Agency’s CEO, Dhruv Chitgopekar, in connection with its probe, NCB deputy director KPS Malhotra said. Chitgopekar reached the Bombay Port Trust (BPT) guest house, where NCB officials are questioning people, around 2pm.

Malhotra denied that any summons was sent to KWAN employee and Deepika Padukone’s manager, Karishma Prakash. “No summons has been issued to Prakash. But we will summon her later this week,” Malhotra said. NCB director general Rakesh Asthana said the agency did not send any summons to Padukone.

On Tuesday, actor Dia Mirza also dismissed reports that she was involved in consumption and procurement of drugs, a claim she said was made with “mala fide intentions”.

Rajput was found hanging in his residence in Bandra on June 14. The CBI is separately probing a case against Rhea and others for allegedly abetting the 34-year-old actor’s suicide