Rhea charged for non-disclosure of Sushant’s drug habit: NCB

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has booked Rhea Chakraborty and four others under section 27(A) of the NDPS Act for not disclosing about the late Sushant Singh Rajput’s habit of drug consumption, which, as per the Act,  amounts to ‘harbouring’ an offender.

The NCB presented its arguments to Justice S.V. Kotwal of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday (September 29).

Additional Solicitor-General Anil Singh said in the court: “If a person does not disclose the fact of drug consumption by another person, it will amount to ‘harbouring’ of an offender. This point was made to justify the invocation of Section 27(A) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.”

Advocates Satish Maneshinde and Taraq Sayed, speaking on behalf of Rhea and the other accused, argued that their clients cannot be said to have ‘harboured’ Sushant since he was living in his own apartment.

On this, NCB’s Anil Singh said: “If somebody known to me is consuming drugs… consumption is illegal… and I am not telling this to anyone… not disclosing it to police…then it can be brought under the definition of ‘harbouring.”

Also read: No poisoning involved in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, says AIIMS team

Maneshinde said, “Had Sushant Singh Rajput been alive today, he would have been punished under Section 20. Sushant would have then claimed the immunity of rehabilitation and got away with punishment for small quantities. If the beneficiary can only get smaller punishment, how can Rhea and Showik be punished under Section 27A?”

The Bombay High Court has reserved its order on the bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty, Showik Chakraborty and others.