Reports say arrest relates to a drug case
Staff Reporter, Mumbai, September 9, 2020
Hindi film actress Rhea Chakraborty has been arrested early this morning by India’s Narcotics Control Authority in a drugs case related to the death of her actor-boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput.
Thirty-four-year-old Sushant was found dead in his flat in Mumbai on June 14, 2020.
Her brother Showik and Sushant’s former House Manager Samuel Miranda were also arrested last week in the same drugs case. But the charges against them have not been revealed either.
Police said he had committed suicide. However, his family registered a Police complaint against Rhea, accusing her of her involvement.
The authorities have not yet revealed the charges against her.
Rhea has consistently refused to comment except to deny any wrongdoing on her part.
The arrest of Rhea is considered to be the most high-profile arrest in connection with a case that has captivated and polarised India in recent months.
Public Debate
Prime time television news covered every development, turning Rajput and Rhea’s personal lives into subjects of public debate.
The social media has been very active and many of Sushant’s fans across the world have demanded a proper inquiry into his death.
According to reports, Sushant and Rhea began dating in the Summer of 2019, and moved in together in December. On June 8, 2020, a week before his death, Rhea went to stay with her parents and was not at home when the actor died.
Centre of controversy
After his death, reports in the press suggested that he had been dealing with mental health issues.
But within days, the focus shifted to Rhea and the 28-year-old upcoming actress soon found herself at the centre of a storm of allegations, conspiracy theories, rumours and unconfirmed reports.
The media attention intensified after Rajput’s father registered a complaint against her. He denied that his son had any mental health issues and accused Rhea of stealing his son’s money, among other allegations.
For months, Rhea has been trolled on social media.
She has been called names like ‘Fortune Huntress’ and ‘Mafia Moll,’ and has been accused of getting Sushant addicted to drugs and driving him to suicide.
The actress has approached the Supreme Court over what she says is an ‘unfair media trial’ and has issued her own statement and given TV interviews, denying all the charges against her.
She has also issued a plea to Home Minister Amit Shah for a fair investigation into Sushant’s death.
From BBC/RNZ Reports
