Bombay HC to hear bail applications by Rhea Chakraborty, Showik Chakraborty over arrest in NCB drug case on September 29

Justice SV Kotwal of the Bombay High Court has posted the bail applications preferred by Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik in relation to the narcotics case charged against them by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for hearing on September 29. .In the preliminary hearing today, Advocate Satish Maneshinde appeared on behalf of both the applicants and Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh appeared for the Narcotics Control Bureau..The ASG submitted at the outset that the NCB has not been served with a copy of the Application. To this Maneshinde retorted that service of the Petition had been done twice..Maneshinde pointed out the following points to the Court's consideration during the preliminary hearing today.Rhea Chakraborty has been charged in this case for procuring drugs for consumption by Sushant Singh Rajput NCB has no jurisdiction to conduct an investigation in this matter. He added that the Supreme Court had earlier directed that all investigations in relation to Sushant Singh Rajput should be transferred to CBI. This applies to the NCB case as well. The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act is an act under which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) can investigate. Maneshinde drew the Court’s attention to the pleadings of the Bail application to argue that Section 27A of the NDPS Act, which has been levelled against Chakraborty, should not be attracted. Judgements were also recited to argue that the offences charged against Rhea were bailable in nature..After hearing Maneshinde briefly, Justice Kotwal asked the ASG if they want to file a reply..The ASG reiterated that he has not been served with a copy. He added, however, that,"I do not want service to be an issue. I will take a copy from my Learned friend.".He assured the Court that on the next hearing date, he will have perused the application and come out with a stand..Justice Kotwal directed both Advocates to be prepared to argue on the issue as to whether the offences charged against Rhea and her brother were bailable in nature or not and whether this argument was applicable for all charged for the offences or only to some. .Maneshinde requested the Court to grant him leave to file a compilation of all judgments and orders that he wants to rely on. .Justice Kotwal directed the Advocates to address the Court of all issues on the next hearing date, before posting the matter for hearing on September 29, 2020..The application filed by the Bollywood actress through Advocates Anandini Fernandes and Namita Maneshinde enlists 51 grounds for bail. .Only role is purchase of small quantity of drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput, offence is bailable: Rhea Chakraborty’s bail application.Inter alia, it has been submitted that some of the other co-accused have been released on bail, that no commercial quantities of drugs were recovered from the Chakrabortys, that the possession of small quantities would not attract non-bailable offences and that the accused have cooperated with the probe from the beginning.