Bombay HC reserves order on squashing LOC against Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik Chakraborty; Read more

The Bombay High Court has decided to postpone its verdict on the petition filed by actor Rhea Chakraborty, along with her brother Showik and their father, seeking the cancellation of Look-Out Circulars (LOC) issued against them.

These LOCs were issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as part of its ongoing investigation into the case involving actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

A Look-Out Circular (LOC) is a measure that prohibits individuals from traveling abroad without prior court authorization. Rhea Chakraborty had faced difficulties fulfilling her international work commitments due to the LOC, prompting the plea to revoke it.

The bench, comprising Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Manjusha Deshpande, questioned the CBI’s rationale behind issuing the LOC solely based on the existence of an FIR, without indicating any suspicion of the accused intending to flee.

There were jurisdictional concerns raised, given that the FIR was initially lodged in Patna before being transferred to the CBI in Delhi. Chakraborty’s advocates argued for Mumbai’s jurisdiction, citing her residency and the CBI’s investigative activities in the city.

Advocate Ayaz Khan, representing Showik Chakraborty and his father, argued for Mumbai’s jurisdiction in the trial and contended that an LOC should only be issued if the accused are actively evading arrest or court appearances. However, the CBI representative stressed the apprehension-based nature of the LOC and cited a previous court’s refusal regarding Rhea’s case transfer request to Mumbai.