NCB moves to High Court for cancellation of Showik Chakraborty's bail in drugs case

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has approached the Bombay High Court seeking cancellation of bail granted to Showik Chakraborty, brother of actor Rhea Chakraborty, in a drugs case probed by the agency following the death of Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput. In its plea filed in the high court last month, the NCB said the special court hearing cases related to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act had ignored previous observations made by the HC and erred in granting bail to Showik and other accused in the case. In October last year, the Bombay High Court had rejected Showik''s bail, but granted bail to Rhea, accused in the same case.

The NCB said in its plea before the high court that the special court had failed to consider the HC''s observation that Showik seemed to be connected with the other accused in the case, from whom commercial quantity of contraband had been recovered. It said that it was likely that out on bail, Showik would indulge in similar activities. Showik was remanded to judicial custody on September 9, 2020. The special court had rejected his first bail application on September 11, 2020 and on October 7, the Bombay HC refused to grant him bail. Showik then filed another bail application before the special court, which allowed it on December 12 last year. The NCB''s plea in the high court is likely to be taken up for hearing on March 30. The NCB had started probing the alleged use of drugs in some quarters in Bollywood after the death of Rajput (34) in June last year.