MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty was granted bail on Wednesday after being arrested nearly a month ago for allegedly buying drugs for her former boyfriend, actor Sushant Singh, who died by suicide, leaving India’s film industry under the spotlight for mental health as well as drug use.
Rajput, 34, was found dead in June in his Mumbai apartment, triggering a national frenzy with television news channels speculating that Chakraborty drove him to kill himself with cannabis and black magic.
A star with many hits to his name, Rajput’s suicide initially triggered a debate over mental health in India’s multi-billion-dollar movie industry.
But Rajput’s family disputed reports that he suffered from depression and accused Chakraborty, 28, of stealing his money and harassing him. She has strongly denied the allegations.
On Wednesday, a court in Mumbai ordered the actress to be released on bail, her lawyer Satish Maneshinde said, calling it a victory for “truth and justice”.
“The arrest and custody of Rhea was totally unwarranted and beyond the reach of law,” he said in a statement.
Her brother Showik, who was also arrested last month, remains in custody.
Chakraborty and her family have been hounded by Indian media who have spent months obsessing over the case, with some celebrities including actresses Vidya Balan and Sonam Kapoor accusing TV channels of carrying out a “witch hunt” against her.
The country’s top anti-crime agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, has been probing Rajput’s death since August, while the Narcotics Control Bureau has been looking into his consumption of cannabis.
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