'Frivolous': SC rejects CBI plea challenging quashing of LOCs against actor Rhea Chakraborty, kin
New Delhi, Oct 25: Calling it "frivolous", the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea of the CBI challenging a Bombay High Court order that quashed the look out circulars (LOC) issued against actor Rhea Chakraborty and her family in the death case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan warned the probe agency and remarked it had moved a "frivolous petition" only because one of the accused was a high-profile person.
The bench further warned to impose costs on the probe agency for filing such a plea.
"If you want cost and some compliments to the CBI, we will pass-over," the bench said.
When the matter was first called out for hearing, a lawyer sought it to be passed over as the main CBI counsel was in another court. When the matter came up later, the counsel for the CBI appeared in court.
"Don't come tomorrow, otherwise costs and compliments to the CBI,” the bench reiterated.
The Bombay High Court had on February 22 quashed the LOCs issued against Chakraborty and her brother Showik and their parents -- Indrajit and Sandhya.
The high court held the LOCs -- issued against them in 2020 -- could not be sent out on the mere registration of an FIR while allowing the pleas of the Chakrabortys.
The actor and her family members were observed to have cooperated with the investigation of the CBI by appearing before the agency whenever summoned without attempting to evade it.
"An LOC is a coercive measure to make the person surrender and as such interferes with the person's right of personal liberty and free movement and curtails the fundamental right of an individual to travel, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution," the high court had said.
The bench added the reason for issuing an LOC -- the apprehension of the agency -- needed to be spelt out.
Rajput was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14, 2020 following which the Mumbai police registered an accidental death report and started the probe. Rajput's father, however, in July 2020 lodged a complaint with the Bihar police, alleging the actor's purported girlfriend Chakraborty and her family members had abetted his suicide.
The case was later transferred to the CBI, which has been investigating it.
In 2020, both Rhea and Showik were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in a drugs case related to Rajput but were granted bail later.
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Maharashtra Congress chief Patole meets Kharge, dismisses resignation talk as 'rumours'
New Delhi, Nov 25: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday dismissed as "rumours" talk of his resignation following the assembly polls debacle and stressed on "collective accountability" for the defeat.
Patole made the remarks after meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge during which he conveyed that the result had not reflected the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra.
"Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other national and state leaders were leading Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) from the forefront during the assembly polls. So, we were sure that the trends were in favour of Maha Vikas Aghadi, even the citizens believed that," the Maharashtra Congress chief said.
"If I talk about Nanded, the Lok Sabha bypolls and assembly elections were held on the same day. In Lok Sabha bypolls, our candidate was winning in six assembly seats, whereas, in the assembly elections, we are not winning even a single seat," he said, adding that there cannot be such a "huge difference".
This is the sentiment among the people also and they have stated that this government in Maharashtra was not being formed on their votes, he claimed.
"So, I spoke to Mallikarjun Kharge on this," he added.
Asked whether he had offered to resign or the party had asked for his resignation after the Maharashtra assembly polls defeat, Patole said, "These are all rumours and there is no truth in them. There is collective accountability."
Patole also said he will meet Rahul Gandhi in a day or two and discuss all issues.
"Democracy is being finished. We have discussed that... there was no talk of resignation," he said.
The MVA alliance, comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT), was restrained to 46 seats by the Mahayuti that reaped a rich harvest of 230 seats in the 288-member House.
