Sushant Singh Rajput Case: Bombay High Court Quashes LOCs Issued Against Actor Rhea Chakraborty, Her Brother Showik And Father

The Bombay High Court has quashed look-out circulars (LOCs) issued against actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, and her father - an army veteran.

CBI issued the LOCs in the aftermath of the Sushant Singh Rajput case. An LOC restricts an individual from foreign travel without prior approval from the court.

Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande pronounced the order.

During an earlier hearing, the court questioned the CBI's contention that the mere registration of an FIR justified the issuance of LOCs.

The court further questioned the petitioners regarding jurisdiction as the original FIR against Chakraborty was filed by Sushant Singh Rajput's family in Patna, before the case was taken over by the CBI in Delhi.

Advocates Abhinav Chandrachud and Prasanna Bhangale for Chakraborty had argued that Mumbai was the right place to file the petition as both Rajput and Chakraborty were residents of the city. The investigation was conducted here, they argued.

Advocate Ayaz Khan, representing Showik Chakraborty and their father, reiterated that Mumbai was the right place to file the plea. He further argued that LOC should only be issued if there is evidence of the accused actively avoiding arrest or court proceedings, which was not the case.

CBI was represented by advocate Shreeram Shirsat. He countered these arguments. He referred to previous orders denying Rhea's plea to transfer the case to Mumbai.

However, earlier, the court observed that there needed to be a conclusion in a case at some point. This particular case didn't involve financial fraud, which could take a long time to resolve. The court cited an instance where a travel ban (LOC) was issued against a witness, preventing them from going abroad to earn a living. The court questioned who would come forward as a witness if such actions were taken. The court stated that some discretion should be exercised as well. It asked what the concern was if the travel ban was lifted in this case.