Sushant Singh Rajput case: Zaid Vilatra withdraws bail petition before HC

Zaid Vilatra, one of the accused arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) while investigating the drug angle into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, on Monday withdrew his bail petition filed before the Bombay high court (HC).

The Bandra hotelier had moved HC challenging his detention in custody on the grounds that the offences alleged against him were bailable and therefore, he was entitled to be released on bail. His counsel, advocate Taraq Sayed, however, on Monday sought permission to withdraw the petition. Justice Revati Mohite Dere accepted the request.

Vilatra was the third person to be arrested by NCB after drug trail came to the fore during the investigation into Rajput’s death. The 34-year-old actor died of suicide on June 14 at his residence in Mumbai.

After receiving information about WhatsApp chats indicating sale and purchase of drugs, NCB started investigation by arresting one Abbas Lakhani on August 28 and purportedly recovered 46 gram marijuana from him. His disclosure led to the arrest of Karnataka Arora, who in turn pointed towards Vilatra.

The NCB team on August 29 searched premises of Vilatra and claimed to have seized cash of ₹9.55 lakh and sizable amount of foreign currency — US$2,081, 180 pound (UK) and 15 dirhams (UAE) — from the hotelier.

In his statement to NCB, he has purportedly said that the seized amount was sale proceeds of contraband material and purportedly admitted to having supplied marijuana or ganja and bud, a marijuana preparation, to many persons, including Abdel Basit Parihar.

Parihar and another accused in the case allegedly supplied the contraband material to Rajput through Showik Chakraborty, brother of Rajput’s actor girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty.