Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty was released from jail on Wednesday. She was arrested over drugs-related charges in actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. She was arrested on September 9.
Earlier in the day, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Rhea, however, rejected the bail plea of her brother Showik Chakraborty, who is also an accused in the case.
The duo was arrested last month by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with its drugs probe related to the case of Rajput’s death.
The court rejected the argument that celebrities deserve
specially harsh treatment in such cases so as to ‘send out a message’. After
spending 28 days in jail, Rhea stepped out of the Byculla women’s prison around
5.30 pm amid a scrum of mediapersons.
While granting her bail on a personal bond of Rs one lakh,
the court asked the actor to appear before the Mumbai police for 10 days and
before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB, which had arrested her) once a month
for the next six months.
Justice Sarang Kotwal of the HC also granted bail to
Rajput’s domestic aides Dipesh Sawant and Samuel Miranda, but rejected the bail
plea of Rhea’ brother Showik Chakraborty.
The court also rejected the bail plea of alleged drug peddler
Abdel Basit Parihar.
The HC observed in its order that Rhea did not have any
criminal antecedents, and it was unlikely that she would tamper with evidence
or affect the probe while out on bail.
Rhea, however, can’t leave Mumbai without the NCB’s
permission and for traveling outside the country, she will need permission from
the special NDPS court, the HC said.
The NCB has charged Rhea under the stringent Section 27-A of
the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act that pertains to
“financing and harbouring illegal drug trafficking”. It entails
imprisonment up to 10 years in prison and a bar on the grant of bail.