MUMBAI: A special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court in Mumbai on Wednesday permitted actor Rhea Chakraborty to travel to Abu Dhabi between June 2 and 6 “to walk the green carpet” at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards function and host an interaction during its main ceremony.
Rhea, an accused in a drugs case related to her boyfriend, late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, had moved the special court after receiving an invitation from the director and co-founder of the IIFA awards.
She said in her application that she received an invitation on May 25 “to walk the green carpet and give away an award on June 3 and also to host an interaction during the main award ceremony on June 4.”
She claimed that due to the criminal prosecution and surrounding circumstances, she had already suffered significant setbacks in her acting career and incurred significant financial losses. “Hence, opportunities such as these are extremely important for the applicant’s (her) future prospects in the film industry and greatly impact her ability to earn her own livelihood,” her application added.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which investigated the drug angle in the untimely death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput after a trail of WhatsApp chats came to the fore revealing sale and purchase of drugs, had arrested Rhea on September 8, 2020.
The agency accused the 28-year-old actor of financing illicit trafficking of drugs and harbouring drug offenders – serious offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 which attract punishment of 10 to 20 years’ imprisonment.
She was accused of “financing” drugs for her late boyfriend Rajput’s consumption and of harbouring the 34-year-old actor, who died by suicide on June 14, 2020, at his residence in Mumbai.
The Bombay high court had, however, rubbished the allegations and granted her bail on October 7, 2020. The court had, however, directed her to surrender her passport to the NCB and not to leave India without prior permission of the trial court, which promoted her to file an application to seek the NDPS court’s permission to travel to Abu Dhabi.
Rhea had been a video-jockey on MTV India and thereafter appeared in Bollywood films like Mere Dad Ki Maruti, Sonali Cable, Half Girlfriend and Jalebi.
