On Tuesday, the Bombay High Court directed the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to return Rhea Chakraborty’s passport, which had been seized back in 2020 in connection with the drugs case linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.The bench, headed by Justice Neela Gokhale, said there was no reason to doubt Rhea’s intentions and ordered the restoration of her passport. However, the court has laid down conditions — the actress must attend every hearing unless specifically exempted by the trial court, and she is required to submit her travel schedule, including flight and hotel details, to the prosecution at least four days before leaving the country.
‘Patience was my only passport’
Soon after the verdict, Rhea dropped a photo of herself holding the passport on Instagram and expressed her relief. She wrote, “Patience was my only passport for the past 5 years. Countless battles. Endless hope. Today, I hold my passport again. Ready for my Chapter2! ✈️🙏 Satyameva Jayate.”Celebrities such as Karishma Tanna, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Vikrant Massey congratulated the actress in the comments section.
Conditions imposed by HC
The High Court has instructed Rhea to share her mobile number with probe agencies, keep her phone active, and immediately inform them upon her return from any foreign trip.Her passport was initially seized in September 2020, when she was arrested by the NCB in the drugs case tied to Rajput’s death on June 14, 2020. She was granted bail on the condition that she deposit her passport with the agency.
Fresh plea for professional freedom
Recently, Rhea, through her lawyer Ayaz Khan, filed a fresh plea for the release of her passport. She argued that the seizure was preventing her from taking up professional assignments abroad.Her counsel maintained that she had complied with all court directions in the past and would continue to do so in the future.
