Supreme Court Dismisses Maharashtra's Appeal, Upholds Quashing of Rhea Chakraborty's LOCs

The Supreme Court upheld the quashing of Look-Out Circulars against Rhea Chakraborty and family, dismissing Maharashtra's appeal and labeling the CBI's petition as "frivolous". The LOCs, linked to Sushant Singh Rajput's death probe, were nullified due to lack of justification by the CBI.

The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal on Friday filed by the Maharashtra government challenging the Bombay High Court's decision to quash Look-Out Circulars (LOC) against actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, and her father, Lt Colonel Indrajit Chakraborty. The LOCs were initially issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concerning the investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan deemed the CBI's petition "frivolous," suggesting it was filed solely because the accused individuals garnered public interest due to their high-profile stature. Justice Gavai, addressing the counsel requesting a pass-over, warned of filing "frivolous petitions" merely for the involved parties' status, adding it might lead to costs and additional remarks directed at the CBI.

The LOCs had been initiated following a First Information Report (FIR) lodged by Rajput's family in Patna. However, the Bombay High Court, in February 2024, nullified these LOCs after determining that the CBI hadn't sufficiently justified their issuance.

(With inputs from agencies.)