Actor Rakul Preet Singh, Deepika's manager face NCB in drug case linked to Sushant's death

Mumbai: Actor Rakul Preet Singh reached the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) office in South Mumbai on Friday morning to record her statement in drugs probe linked to filmstar Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

Rakul (29) was seen entering the NCB guest house, from where the central agency is operating, in Colaba around 10.30am. She has been summoned by the NCB as part of its probe into alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus.

Besides Rakul, Deepika Padukone's manager Karishma Prakash and Dharma Productions' executive producer Kshitiz Ravi were also reached the NCB office on Friday. Dharma Productions is owned by film-maker Karan Johar.

An NCB team had raided Ravis residence at Versova in the western suburbs on Thursday. The team also had carried searches at the residence of a TV actor-couple who was also quizzed by NCB officials.

While leaving his residence, NCB team members took Ravi along with them in their vehicle and left for their office in South Mumbai. The official maintained the executive producer was being taken for questioning in connection with the case related to alleged drug abuse in Bollywood.

Deepika Padukone was, earlier, also supposed to join the investigation on Friday. However, she has agreed to join the investigation on Saturday, a NCB officer said.

Apart from Deepika, Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor, who were also summoned by the NCB in the case, will join the probe on Saturday.

The development came a day after the agency issued a summon to Deepika, the daughter of badminton icon Prakash Padukone who is married to Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh, to join the probe after her alleged chats with her manager Karishma Prakash came to the fore during the investigation.

Deepika on Thursday arrived in Mumbai from Goa, where she was shooting for director Shakun Batra's next film along with Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Pandey.

Sara is the daughter of actors Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, while Shradhha is the daughter of veteran actor Shakti Kapoor. Earlier in the day, Sara also arrived in Mumbai from Goa along with her mother.

Rakul was asked to join the probe on Thursday, but she is now set to be questioned by the agency on Friday.

Meanwhile, police personnel have been deployed outside the residence of Deepika Padukone.

A team from the Dadar police station has been deployed outside 'Beaumonde Towers' in Prabhadevi, where the 34-year- old actor owns an apartment, as a precautionary measure, an official said.

'WhatsApp chats on drugs'

NCB sources said that they all have been summoned after their names surfaced in WhatsApp chats accessed by the NCB and during the questioning of late Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty.

The source said that these celebrities will be questioned about how and from whom they procured drugs and whether they were meant for personal consumption or for someone else.

The source further said that while probing the link of the Kwan Talent Management Agency in the case, Deepika's chats with Karishma surfaced. Karishma handled Deepika's account at Kwan till 2017.

According to an NCB official, the names of Sara and Shraddha came up in two drugs cases registered by the agency.

The official said that the NCB is presently investigating two separate cases which revolve around the drugs cartel that is active in the tinsel town. The first case was registered on the directions of the top brass of the NCB after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) forwarded a brief note on Rhea and her brother Showik's WhatsApp chats.

In its FIR number 15, the NCB claimed, "Analysis of WhatsApp chats of Rhea Chakraborty with other entities reflects the angle of conspiracy and abetment in possession, sale, purchase, consumption, transportation and usage of substances covered under NDPS Act."

In the second case (FIR number 16), the NCB has so far arrested 19 persons, including Rhea and Showik.

NCB records more statements

Earlier on Thursday, the NCB recorded the statement of fashion designer Simone Khambatta for over four hours and Sushant's former manager Shruti Modi for over six hours.

The NCB has also recorded the statements of Kwan CEO Dhruv Chitgopekar, producer Madhu Mantena Varma and Sushant's talent manager Jaya Saha.

Sushant was found dead at his Bandra apartment on June 14.

Speaking to IANS, criminal lawyer Jaikush Hoon said, "Deepika, Shraddha, Sara and Rakul have been summoned by the NCB for questioning pertaining to its ongoing investigation. The questioning would revolve around various sections of the NDPS Act, 1985."

Hoon said that if they are booked under Sections 8(A)(c), 20(b) and 22(a), they would be subjected to one year rigorous imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine. If the NCB can prepare its case against them under Sections 22(b) and 27(a), then they can be sentenced to 10-year rigorous imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine.

The lawyer said that the probe of Deepika would revolve around two angles, i.e., Sushant-Rhea drug angle and Manjinder Singh Sirsa's complaint about a video of a 2019 Bollywood party.

Besides the NCB, the CBI and the ED are also probing Sushant's death case.

Court allows NCB to question Showik Chakraborty in jail

Meanwhile, a court here on Thursday allowed the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to record the statements of Showik Chakraborty and Deepesh Sawant inside the jail.

The two, along with prime accused Rhea Chakraborty and others, are currently in judicial custody.

Showik, who is Rhea's brother, and Sawant who worked as a cook at Rajput's house, are lodged in Taloja prison in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

The NCB, in its plea before the special court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, said mobile phone data showed Showik's deep involvement in the case.

It also showed he was in touch with various high-profile personalities, and these aspects needed further probe, the agency said.

It also wanted to question Sawant afresh, it said.

Special judge G B Gurao granted permission for an NCB team to visit Taloja prison and record their statements in the presence of jail officials.

(With inputs from IANS and PTI)