NCB questions Deepika Padukone for five hours in drug racket case

Actors Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan also quizzed.

September 26, 2020 10:40 am | Updated 10:09 pm IST - Mumbai

Actor Deepika Padukone arrives at NCB guest house in Mumbai for an enquiry.

Actor Deepika Padukone arrives at NCB guest house in Mumbai for an enquiry.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday questioned actors Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan in connection with the drug racket unearthed during investigations into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Ms. Padukone arrived in Mumbai from Goa in a chartered flight on Friday, and was quizzed by the agency for five and a half hours. She was summoned after some Whatsapp chats came to light alleging that she was the admin of the group where drugs were discussed, with her manager Karishma Prakash.

Also read | NCB quizzes actor Rakul Preet Singh

Ms. Khan, who also came from Goa on Friday, was questioned for four hours on her equation with Rajput as was Ms. Kapoor. Both have denied consumption of drugs. Ms. Prakash along with actor Rakul Preet Singh were questioned by the NCB on Friday.

Executive producer of Dharma Productions Kshitij Ravi Prasad has been arrested by NCB and he will produced in court on Sunday.

 Meanwhile director Karan Johar who owns the production house, distanced himself from Mr. Prasad.

 In a statement on social media on Friday, Mr. Johar said: “Kshitij Prasad joined Dharmatic Entertainment (sister concern of Dharma Production) in November 2019 as one of the executive producers on contract basis for a project which eventually did not materialise. I do not know Kshitij Prasad personally, nor is he is my aide. Neither I nor Dharma Production can be made responsible for what people do in their personal lives. These allegations do not pertain to Dharma Production.”

Earlier this week, designer Simone Khambatta, and Rajput’s manager Shruti Modi were also questioned.

The NCB has so far arrested 16 accused in this case, including Rajput’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty , her brother Showik and the late actor’s house manager Samuel Miranda.

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