The Central anti-drug agency had filed the draft charges last month in the Special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) Court against 35 accused, the details of which were made available on Tuesday. The NCB launched a probe into the drug use in Bollywood and the television industry following the death of actor Sushant Singh, 34, who was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14, 2020. The police had said the death was a suicide.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in its draft charges filed in the drug case linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death has claimed actor Rhea Chakraborty received multiple deliveries of ganja from the coaccused, including her brother Showik, and these were handed over to Rajput. Ms Chakraborty, 30, has been charged with purchasing and financing a small quantity of marijuana. Her brother, Showik Chakraborty, has also been named as an accused.

The NCB has said she received and delivered marijuana to Sushant Singh. She also made payments for it at his instance, they said. If convicted, Rhea Chakraborty could face over 10 years in jail. Rhea Chakraborty – accused by Sushant Singh’s family of mentally harassing him, exploiting him for money and having a role in his death – has been the focus of investigations by three central agencies.

A chargesheet filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) named her and 34 others as accused in the high-profile case. As per the draft charges, all the accused entered into criminal conspiracy between March 2020 and December that year with each other or in groups to procure, purchase, sell and distribute drugs in “high society and Bollywood”. It also said the accused had financed drug trafficking and consumed ganja, charas, cocaine and other narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances without valid licence, permit or authorisation within the Mumbai Metropolitan region. Therefore, they have been charged under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, including sections 27 and 27A (financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders) 28 (punishment for attempts to commit offences), 29 (whoever abets, or is a party to a criminal conspiracy), as per the draft charges.

The draft charges maintained that “Rhea Chakroborty received many deliveries of ganja from accused Samuel Miranda, Showik, Dipesh Sawant and others and handed over those deliveries to the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput”. She made payments for those deliveries at the instance of Showik and the late actor between March 2020 and September that year, it added.

As per the draft charges, Rhea’s brother Showik was in regular touch with drug peddlers and had received many deliveries from co-accused. These deliveries were handed over to Rajput. The filing of draft charges sets the tone for the framing of charges, following which the trial begins. But the court will have to first decide on the discharge pleas of the accused.

Besides the NCB, she is also being investigated by the CBI, which is probing Sushant Singh’s death, and the economic aspect is being looked into by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Ms Chakraborty was arrested in the case in September 2020. She was granted bail by the Bombay High Court almost a month after her arrest.

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