NCB quizzes Deepika, Sara, Shraddha in drug case

Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday questioned Bollywood divas Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor for several hours in a drugs case in connection with the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Besides the three actors, the NCB also questioned Deepika’s former manager Karishma Prakash. According to NCB sources, Deepika and Karishma were “evasive” on alleged procurement of drugs as was indicated in an alleged chat of October 2017.

Deepika, who arrived at the NCB office before 10 am at the agency’s guesthouse in Colaba area, left around 3.30 pm. Even Karishma, who deposed for the second time on Saturday at 10.45 am, left around 3.30 pm.

The NCB has got the details of the chats of Deepika and Karishma from October 2017 wherein the two were discussing drugs and planned to meet at Club Koko.

Deepika and Karishma were summoned by the NCB after their names came to the fore in the drug-related case.

Meanwhile, Shraddha, who appeared at the NCB office around 11.45 a.m., left the NCB office in the Ballard Pier area at 6 p.m.

Sara, who arrived at the NCB office around 1 p.m., was questioned for over four and half hours.

Shraddha’s name came to the fore after her alleged chat with Sushant’s former manager Jaya Saha asking for CBD oil came to the fore and also that she visited Pawna resort along with Sushant.

Meanwhile, troubles for Sara mounted after Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, during one of the television interviews, claimed that the late actor caught the habit of smoking marijuana while shooting for Kedarnath. Sara starred with Sushant in the film.

Deepika was summoned on Wednesday when she was in Goa for the shooting of a film. She arrived in Mumbai on Thursday and was set to appear on Friday. But on the request of Deepika’s legal team, the NCB postponed it to Saturday.

The NCB had recorded the statement of actor Rakul Preet Singh and Karishma on Friday.

Commenting on the questioning of three actors by the NCB, Jaikush Hoon, a noted criminal lawyer said the main focal point of NCB questioning with the actors revolves around six aspects i.e. “procurement, payment, involvement, partner in crime, consumption and lastly the place of consumption”.

Hoon said, in case, if they render cooperation to the agency with the ongoing investigation, the NCB could book them for an offence punishable under section-8(c), 20(b)(b), 22(A), 27(b) of NDPS Act, 1985. “In case if they don’t cooperate with the probe then section-8(c), 20 (b)(c),22(b), 22(c),27(a) and 28,29,30 of the same act would apply,” he added.

The NCB registered a case after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case of money laundering into the death of Sushant and then found the alleged chats on drugs on the phones of Rhea, her brother Showik and Sushant’s house manager Samuel Miranda.

The ED then wrote to the NCB to probe the drugs case. After registering the case, the NCB questioned several people and arrested Rhea, Showik, Miranda, Sushant’s personal staff Dipesh Sawant and 16 others.

The NCB has also questioned Sushant’s former manager Shruti Modi, Dharma Productions former executive producer Kshitij Prasad Ravi, Kwan Talent Management Agency CEO Dhruv Chitgopekar, noted producer Madhu Mantena Varma and several others in the case so far.

The CBI and the ED are probing separate cases in connection with the death of Sushant, who was found dead on June 14 at his Bandra apartment.

(IANS)

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