B’Wood drug probe: Deepika Padukone reaches NCB for questioning

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone has arrived at the Narcotics Control Bureau(NCB) for questioning in a widening drugs probe linked to the Sushant Singh Rajput death investigation. NCB issued summons along with other Bollywood actors Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan, who will also be questioned today.

Deepika Padukone arrived for questioning this morning at the Evelyn Guest House at Apollo Bunder in Colaba, Mumbai, where the Narcotics Control Bureau’s Special Investigation Team has set up a base.

Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor are expected to be questioned at the NCB office in Ballard Estate.

Ms Padukone’s manager Karishma Prakash, who was interrogated on September 25, is likely to be called again today.

The NCB questioned Rakul Preet Singh and Karishma Prakash about the contents of WhatsApp chat which allegedly indicated marijuana was bought for consumption.

According to the news reports, the NCB revealed that Deepika Padukone was the admin of a Whats App group for drug chats. Karishma Prakash confessed of being part of the group. Karishma’s WhatsApp chats with Deepika were retrieved by the NCB. In the chats, they are seen discussing drugs.

The NBC also said that the agency was questioning Bollywood A-listers to understand the network of drug supply through alleged consumers. These actors have not been named as accused in any drug probe case, and are only questioned.

The probe into Bollywood’s drugs links started with actor Rhea Chakraborty’s interrogation, three months after Sushant was found dead at his Mumbai home on June 14.

Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor’s name cropped up in the drug controversy after a boatman told the NCB that Sushant used to party at his Lonavala farmhouse. In his statement to the NCB, the boatman, Jagdish Das, had claimed that the scenic location was a party destination for Rajput, his core team and Bollywood friends like Rhea Chakraborty, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, and arrested drug-peddling suspect Zaid Vilatra, among others.