The Bombay High Court has permitted Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty, who was accused in the drugs case related to late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, to travel abroad for work in relation to a pet food company for which she is a brand ambassador. Rhea has received permission to travel from December 27 to January 2, 2024.
A vacation bench of Justices Kamal Khata and Jitendra Jain temporarily suspended the Lookout Circular (LOC) even after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informed the court that the investigation in the case related to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput has “gained momentum”.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe Rajput’s death, who was found dead in his apartment in Bandra on June 14, 2020. The CBI had taken over the investigation after Rajput’s father filed a complaint in Patna.
Rhea had filed an application seeking temporary suspension of the LOC stating that she has to travel to Dubai from December 27 to January 2 for professional commitments. According to her plea, she is a brand ambassador of a pet food company and has to travel for the event in Dubai.
CBI counsel Shreeram Shirsat opposed the plea contending that the investigation in the death probe had gained momentum and she should not be allowed to travel abroad at this juncture.
To this, the bench asked the central agency whether it would be filing its chargesheet in the case in the coming days. “How long will you detain her? Are you filing a chargesheet in the next two days?” asked Justice Khata.
Shirsat replied in the negative. He contended that another actor, Kiara Advani, was appointed as a brand ambassador for the pet food company, to which Rhea claimed to be a brand ambassador.
Rhea's counsel Abhinav Chandrchud pointed out to the court that the contract still existed between the actor and the company and hence she was invited for the event in Dubai. He also submitted that after securing bail, she had got permission from the court to travel about twice, but was unable to due to the LOC issued by the CBI.
Shirsat also raised the jurisdiction issue saying that since the CBI took over the probe following a complaint filed in Patna, Rhea would have to approach Patna for seeking suspension of the LOC.
The judges remarked that if her brother Showik, who is also an accused in the case, can be allowed to travel then there was no reason why the actor should not be permitted to go abroad for a week.
The HC hence temporarily suspended Rhea's LOC and permitted her to travel on condition that she would deposit her parents’ passports for the time she would be travelling. She has also been directed to submit a detailed itinerary of her visit along with her contact number and address in Dubai where she will be travelling.
Rhea and Showik were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau under the provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and are currently out on bail in the case.
