A special NarcoticDrugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) court on Wednesday rejected the bail applicationof Siddharth Pithani, flatmate of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, arrested ina drug related case following the actor’s death.
He had filed for baillast month, claiming that there wasn't any evidence against him to prove thathe was involved in any drug related offence. Siddharth had also reportedlystated that while the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had relied on thestatements of Sushant's manager and cook claiming he hadpurchased ganja, both of them had retracted later.
Siddharth added thatthe other accused in the case from whom there were no recoveries made weregranted bail, and he should also be considered for the same.
Special judge VVVidwans rejected the bail plea of Pithani who was picked from Hyderabad by theNarcotics Control Bureau (NCB) headed by zonal director Sameer Wankhede.
The NCB team hadserved notices to Pithani to join investigations under the NDPS Act in the drugcase but, the investigators claimed, he had not co-operated. Pithani wassubsequently picked from Hyderabad and produced before a Telangana court thathad granted them transit remand to bring him to Mumbai.
Pithani was the firstperson to see the actor’s body hanging from the ceiling on September 14, 2020.His statement was recorded by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as well asCentral Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which is the investigating the suicidecase of the actor.
The NCB had claimedthat the investigation against Pithani is yet to be completed and a chargesheetyet to be filed. The NCB had also submitted papers of investigation to thecourt to oppose Pithani’s release. Three statements of Rajput’s security personand bodyguard, the late actor’s cook and housekeeping employee were alsosubmitted as part of evidence.
The NCB also claimedthat it had recovered incriminating materials, including photos and videos,from Pithani’s phone, which showed that he used to ‘arrange/consume’ narcoticdrugs and psychotropic substances in ‘large quantity during his stay at the lateactor’s residence’.