Rhea Chakraborty regains passport after five years in 2020 drugs case, says ‘Ready for Chapter 2’

Actor Rhea Chakraborty has received relief from the Bombay High Court, which directed the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to return her passport seized during the 2020 drugs case linked to Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. The court order permanently relaxes a bail condition imposed on her more than four years ago.

On Friday, Rhea shared the news on Instagram with a picture of herself holding the passport. In her caption, she wrote, “Patience was my only passport for the past 5 years. Countless battles. Endless hope. Today, I hold my passport again. Ready for my Chapter2! Satyameva Jayate.”

Her post quickly drew reactions from friends and colleagues in the industry. Fatima Sana Shaikh commented “finally,” with heart emojis, while Shibani Dandekar dropped celebratory icons. Amrita Arora, Kanika Kapoor, Deanne Panday, Seema Sajdeh and Vikrant Massey also expressed their support. Elvish Yadav, who worked with Rhea on Roadies XX, wrote, “Finally,” along with a thumbs up.

The decision comes after Rhea filed an application through her advocate Ayaz Khan, seeking removal of the condition requiring her to deposit her passport with the NCB. She argued that the restriction had cost her overseas work opportunities. Opposing the plea, NCB’s representative, advocate SK Halwasia, said she should not be given any preferential treatment because of her celebrity status.

Justice Gokhale, while granting the request, observed that there was no reason to doubt her availability for the trial’s conclusion. The court noted that other accused in the same case had already received similar relief. It also highlighted that Rhea had consistently complied with bail conditions, returned from approved trips, and cooperated with the proceedings.

Rhea was arrested in September 2020 in connection with the drugs case and granted bail a month later. Since then, her passport had remained with the NCB. The latest order allows her to travel abroad without seeking prior permission, marking a significant development in her ongoing legal journey.

For Rhea, the moment symbolised a turning point. As she described it herself — patience had been her only passport until now.