Sushant's Fmr Aide Moves HC, Accuses NCB Of Illegal Detention

Mumbai: Dipesh Sawant, former domestic help of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court alleging he was illegally detained by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) before being produced in a local court. Sawant in his plea filed earlier this month has sought compensation of Rs 10 lakh from the NCB.

The plea came up on Monday before a division bench of Justices S S Shinde and M S Karnik which posted it for hearing on November 6. Sawant has been accused of interacting with peddlers and procuring drugs, allegedly on behalf of Rajput, and has been charged under Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Sawant, who is presently out on bail, in his plea, claimed violation of his fundamental rights by NCB officials who failed to produce him before the metropolitan magistrate court within 24 hours of taking him into custody. As per the petition, NCB took Sawant in their custody from his residence in suburban Chembur on September 4 at around 10pm, but he was produced before the magistrate on September 6 afternoon some 36 hours later.

The petition also alleged the NCB wrongly recorded he was arrested on September 5 at 8pm. “The petitioner was in illegal detention and this is in gross violation of Articles 21 (right to life and liberty) and 22 (any person arrested to be produced before concerned court within 24 hours),” the plea said.

Apart from compensation, it also seeks appropriate action against concerned NCB officials.