After a long legal battle spanning five years, actor Rhea Chakraborty has finally regained possession of her passport. The 33-year-old on Friday took to Instagram to share the emotional moment with her followers.
She posted a picture of herself at the airport, holding her Indian passport, with the caption, "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."
This comes after the Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to return Rhea's passport, which had been seized in 2020 during the investigation into the drug case linked to the death of her former partner and actor, Sushant Singh Rajput.
The bench led by Justice Neela Gokhale noted that there was no reason to doubt the actor’s intentions. The court instructed the NCB to restore her passport, while laying down a few conditions for her future travel.
As per the court’s order, Rhea must be present at every hearing unless exempted by the trial court. She is also required to submit her complete travel schedule, flight and accommodation details to the prosecution at least four days before departure. Additionally, she must keep her phone switched on while abroad, provide her contact number to the investigating agencies, and inform them upon her return.
Rhea’s heartfelt post drew reactions from several fellow celebrities and social media users. Actors Fatima Sana Shaikh and Elvish Yadav commented, “Finally.” Television personalities Anusha Dandekar and Shibani Akhtar responded with red heart emojis. One user wrote, “No amount of apology will suffice for what she has gone through. More power to you. This country will suffer for the way it treats its women.” Another supporter added, “So so happy for you Rhea ❤️🤗 You showed tremendous resilience and patience through testing times 👏 Cheering you all the way to thrive and succeed in your #Chapter2. Onwards and upwards.”
Rhea Chakraborty was arrested by the NCB on 8 September 2020, along with her brother and several others, on allegations of procuring and financing drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput. The case emerged from a complaint filed by Rajput’s father and evolved into a broader investigation into drug use within the Indian film industry.
Though she was granted bail in October 2020, the Bombay High Court imposed several restrictions, including the surrender of her passport. Since then, she had to seek the trial court's permission each time she wished to travel abroad.
In her recent petition, Rhea, through her lawyer Ayaz Khan, urged the court to return her passport, arguing that the restriction was severely limiting her professional opportunities abroad. Her legal team pointed out that she had always complied with court directions and pledged to continue doing so.
