![Padukone, who has shared her own experience of living with depression, has spoken against stigma associated with the illness [File: Sujit Jaiswal/AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Capture-40-1-360x180.png)
![Padukone, who has shared her own experience of living with depression, has spoken against stigma associated with the illness [File: Sujit Jaiswal/AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Capture-40-1.png)
September 24 (Mint) – The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday issued summons to Bollywood actresses, including Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh in a Bollywood-drug nexus case.
According to news agency ANI, Deepika Padukone has been summoned on 25 September while Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan have been summoned on 26 September.
Deepika Padukone’s name has reportedly emerged in various drug-related chats, which has left social media stunned.
Some conversations on WhatsApp related to drugs are on the radar of the agency, as per reports. Few chats, which are now on public domain, were purportedly between Padukone’s manager and an employee of Kwan talent management company Karishma Prakash and one “D”.
Kwan talent management agency has contracts with several A-lister Bollywood actors and actresses. Deepika Padukone is reportedly one of them.
NCB summons Deepika’s manager
Earlier, the NCB, which is probing the alleged Bollywood-drug nexus, had summoned Karishma Prakash, as well as firm CEO Dhruv Chitgopekar, for questioning.
During the NCB’s probe into the drugs angle in late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case, a wider drugs nexus in Bollywood surfaced.
Sushant’s talent manager Jaya Saha was questioned by the NCB earlier on Monday.
During her questioning, the NCB got information about many persons allegedly having an active role in the Bollywood-drug nexus.
Some WhatsApp chats of the persons who were questioned earlier by the NCB suggested a discussion about drugs, as per reports.
Bollywood drugs probe: Madhu Mantena at NCB office
Madhu Mantena, Bollywood film producer has reached the NCB guest house on Wednesday to record his statement in connection with the agency’s probe into the alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus.
The NCB had summoned Mantena for questioning in connection with the probe. He reached the NCB guest house in south Mumbai around 11.30 am, an official told a news agency.
Madhu Mantena was the co-producer of 2016 Bollywood film ‘Udta Punjab’ which dealt with the issue of drug menace.
Rhea, Showik’s bail plea to be taken up tomorrow
The NCB has so far arrested over 12 people, including Rajput’s girlfriend and actress Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty, in connection with the probe into the drugs angle in the case of the actor’s death.
Rhea Chakraborty, in her statement to the NCB, had confessed that she would party with Sara, Shraddha, Rakul and Sushant at the late actor’s Lonavala farmhouse.
The hearing on the bail plea of Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik will be held tomorrow as the Bombay High Court declared holiday on Wednesday, her lawyer said.
The High Court declared a holiday for the court due to the heavy rain in the State capital and added that all hearings slated for today will be taken up tomorrow.
“The Chief Justice has declared a holiday today for the Bombay High Court and today’s board will be taken up tomorrow,” Rhea’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde told reporters.
With agency inputs
