Deepika Padukone was questioned for six hours by the NCB on Saturday.
New Delhi:
Cell phones of actors Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh are amongst these seized by the Narcotics Management Bureau in its probe into allegations of drug abuse in Bollywood triggered by the loss of life of film star Sushant Singh Rajput.
Ms Padukone, one of many largest names within the Hindi movie trade, was questioned for six hours on Saturday by the Narcotics Management Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai. She was summoned, together with actors Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan.
The NCB has additionally seized telephones of expertise supervisor Jaya Saha and clothier Simone Khambatta and despatched them for forensic examination within the case that has relied on recovered chat messages and has not led to discovery of any contraband up to now.
Ms Padukone was questioned on the Evelyn Visitor Home in Mumbai’s Colaba, the place the Narcotics Management Bureau’s Particular Investigation Workforce has arrange a base. Ms Kapoor and Ms Khan have been additionally questioned individually on the NCB’s Ballard Property workplace.
The probe into Bollywood’s medicine hyperlinks began with actor Rhea Chakraborty’s questioning, three months after Sushant Singh Rajput was discovered lifeless at his Mumbai dwelling on June 14. The investigation, involving a number of companies, has captivated the nation, throwing up virtually each day twists and wild hypothesis and campaigns on social media.
Sources within the Narcotics Management Bureau, whose mandate is to go after bigger drug cartels and never particular person shoppers, have stated the company was summoning Bollywood A-listers to know the community of provide via alleged shoppers.
The actors haven’t been named as accused in any medicine probe case, and are solely being questioned, company sources have specified.
Throughout her questioning earlier than arrest on September 9, Rhea Chakraborty reportedly named stars, together with Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh, in reference to medicine use. Her lawyer has denied this declare.
Sara Ali Khan was additionally Sushant Singh Rajput’s co-star within the movie “Kedarnath”; Sushant Rajput developed the medicine behavior whereas capturing the movie, in accordance with Rhea Chakraborty’s bail petition earlier than the Bombay Excessive Court docket.
The names of Deepika Padukone and Shraddha Kapoor have been present in WhatsApp chats on the cellphone of Jaya Saha, Sushant Singh Rajput’s expertise supervisor and a high govt of expertise agency Kwan. Jaya Saha has additionally been questioned by the drug probe company.
Sushant Singh’s household via their Advocate Vikas Singh had aired their displeasure over the path of the probe calling “the NCB probe too moving into the identical path like Mumbai Police probe… calling large names for questioning simply to get consideration”.