Bombay HC declares holiday due to heavy rains; No bail plea hearing for Rhea, brother today

Mumbai, Sep 22: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday suspended its hearings scheduled for the day, including all virtual hearings, in view of the heavy rainfall in the city and suburbs.

The bail pleas filed by actress Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty, both arrested in a drugs case related to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, were to be heard on Wednesday by a single bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal through video-conferencing.

Besides, a division bench led by Justice S J Kathawalla was scheduled to hear actress Kangana Ranaut's plea against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation over the demolition of a part of her bungalow in Pali Hill area here.

As per the communication issued by the high court registrar, these cases and other matters scheduled during the day will be taken up by the benches concerned on Thursday. Heavy showers overnight and early Wednesday morning caused water-logging at many places in Mumbai, disrupting rail and road traffic, officials said.

Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty, both arrested by the NCB which is probing drugs angle in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, on Tuesday filed an application in the Bombay High Court seeking bail.

However, the hearing has been postponed.'' Today's board to be taken up tomorrow,'' Satish Maneshinde, Rhea's lawyer said.

Their lawyer Satish Maneshinde said the plea will come up for hearing on Wednesday before a bench presided over by Justice Sarang Kotwal. Rhea Chakraborty was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on September 9. Her bail plea was rejected at that time by a special NDPS court here and she was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

Bengaluru drug case: Lookout notice issued against ex-minister's son Aditya Alva

The special court on Tuesday extended her judicial custody till October 6. Showik Chakraborty was arrested by the NCB on September 5 along with Rajput's aide Samuel Miranda on charges of having procured and financed drugs for the late actor.

On September 11, the special court rejected the bail pleas filed by Showik, Miranda, and several other accused persons in the case. Later, Miranda, Rajput's personal assistant Dipesh Sawant, and alleged drug dealer Abdul Bashit Parihar, approached the high court, seeking bail. Their plea was heard by Justice Kotwal last week.

Further hearing on their pleas is scheduled for September 29. While rejecting Rhea Chakraborty's bail plea, the special court had said she could "alert" the people she named in her statement made to the NCB.

The special court had also dismissed her submission that she was coerced by the NCB into making her statement. While rejecting Showik's bail plea, the special court had said that if let out on bail, he was likely to tamper with the evidence collected in the case.