Rhea arrested for drugs under THESE sections: What they mean, what punishment terms may be

In a massive development on Tuesday, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Rhea Chakraborty for her alleged role in drugs procurement. The NCB has arrested the Bollywood actor under sections 89(c), 20(b), 27(a), 28 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS). As per sources, on Day 3 of her interrogation by the NCB, Rhea Chakraborty admitted that she was consuming not just marijuana, but also hard drugs. 

As per top sources, the actor had earlier admitted ‘procuring drugs’ along with her brother Showik, who has also been arrested by NCB. In her latest statement to the NCB, Rhea stated that she was consuming ‘chemicals’ or hard drugs, apart from marijuana, as per sources.  

Here are the what sections slapped mean and the punishment prescribed as per the law: 

• Section 8(c) of the NDPS Act states that produce, manufacture, possess, sell, purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consume, import inter-State, export inter-State, import into India, export from India or tranship any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance, except for medical or scientific purposes requires a licence or permit by the concerned authorities. The aforementioned section of the NDPS Act also prohibits the cultivation of th cannabis plant and the production, possession, use, consumption, purchase, sale, transport, warehousing, import inter-State and export inter-State of ganja for any purpose. 
• Section 20(b) of the NDPS Act reads, "produces, manufactures, possesses, sells, purchases, transports, imports inter-State, exports inter-State or uses cannabis, shall be punishable." The punishment under this section includes rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years and also includes a fine which may extend to one lakh rupees. It also mentions of three clauses further which includes possesion or manufacture of commercial quantity.
• Section 27A of the NDPS Act pertains to punishment for harbouring offenders and financing illicit traffic of drugs. The offender may be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten years but which may extend to twenty years and shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but which may extend to two lakh rupees.  
• Section 28 of the NDPS Act provides for punishment for any offender slapped with the NDPS Act. 
• Section 29 of the NDPS Act lays out the Punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy. It states that anyone who abets or is a party to a criminal conspiracy shall be punishable with the prescribed penalty provided for the offence. 

Rhea confesses to NCB

The Bollywood actor has been taken to Sion Hospital for medical checkup and COVID test. Following the examination, the NCB will present Rhea before court on Tuesday evening. Among the other highlights of Rhea's confession to the NCB has been that she took the names of Bollywood stars who were consuming drugs, as she was confronted about the links to these names. As per top sources, she has also spoken about the parties where such drugs were consumed. 

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