Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday recorded statements of actors Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan in the drugs probe linked to Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and an alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus. It also arrested Dharma Productions’ executive producer Kshitij Ravi Prasad. The agency has so far arrested at least 18 persons in these cases.
While Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor were questioned at the NCB’s zonal office at Ballard Estate, Padukone was questioned at a guest house in Colaba, an official of the central agency said. Shraddha Kapoor reached the NCB office around 12 pm and left after six hours, while Sara Ali Khan reached around 1 pm and left around 5.30 pm.
Padukone was confronted with her manager Karishma Prakash during questioning, sources said. Padukone, who reached the guest house around 9.50 am, left at 3.50 pm. Prakash, who had been quizzed on Friday too, was also allowed to leave around 3.40 pm.
The agency arrested Kshitij Ravi Prasad in the drugs case linked to Rajput’s death on Saturday. He had been picked up by a team of NCB from his residence in suburban Versova on Friday morning and questioned all day at its Ballard Estate office. He was not seen leaving the office even late at night. On Friday, NCB had also questioned Dharma Productions’ Anubhav Chopra in connection with film industry-drug nexus.
In a statement, film-maker Karan Johar had said Prasad joined Dharmatic Entertainment, sister concern of Johar’s Dharma Productions, in November 2019 on a contract basis for a project which did not materialise. Chopra was briefly associated with his banner as an assistant director and worked only on two projects, he said.
The NCB had earlier arrested actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and some suspected drug peddlers. Rajput (34), an emerging Bollywood star, was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14.
According to NCB sources, Karishma Prakash’s WhatsApp chats included conversations about drugs with one ‘D’ and the central agency wanted to find out who this person was. The NCB team also got important information from Rajput’s talent manager Jaya Saha. Sara Ali Khan and actor Rakul Preet Singh’s names cropped up during the questioning of Rhea Chakraborty. Rakul was questioned on Friday.
Meanwhile, considering the media frenzy around the `A-lister’ Bollywood stars who are being questioned in the case, the Mumbai police on Saturday issued a warning that media should not engage in reckeless chases of actors’ vehicles.
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