Comedian Bharti Singh and her husband accused by NCB of using drugs (Archive)
Mumbai:
Comedian Bharti Singh and her husband, Harsh Limbachiyaa, were questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) after the anti-drug agency recovered a “small amount of cannabis” during a search of their Mumbai residence this morning.
Footage from outside the apartment complex they live in showed Mr. Limbachiyaa being driven in a white NCB van while Ms. Singh followed him in a red Mercedes.
According to an NCB official quoted by the PTI news agency, Ms Singh’s name came up during the questioning of a drug dealer and a search of her home recovered a “small amount of cannabis”. The agency also searched two other locations in Mumbai, the official added.
The raids come amid a sprawling investigation, which began with investigations into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June, into the alleged use of drugs by members of the entertainment industry.
Earlier this month, actor Arjun Rampal’s home was searched, and both he and his girlfriend, Gabriella Demetriades, were summoned for questioning.
Ms. Demetriades was questioned for two days (for a total of 12 hours) while Mr. Rampal was questioned for six hours last week. As he left the agency’s office in South Mumbai, he clarified that the substances found by the OCN at his residence were part of a prescription.
“I am fully cooperating with the investigation. I have nothing to do with drugs. The medicine that was found at my residence was prescribed. The prescription was found and delivered,” he said.
The NCB had also previously arrested Paul Bartel, an Australian architect whose name emerged as an alleged supplier after questioning Agisialos Demetriades, a South African national who is Ms Demetriades’ brother and is currently in the custody of the agency.
Bartel was released on bail Thursday. According to the PTI news agency, the special court that granted him relief found that there was “no substantial material” to prove the wrongdoing on his part.
Before that, the NCB had also summoned film producer Firoz Nadiadwala. A day earlier, his wife, Shabana Saeed, was arrested after investigators allegedly found 10 grams of marijuana at her home in Mumbai Juhu during a raid. Since then, Ms. Saeed has been released on bail.
Nadiadwala’s residence had been searched following the arrest of drug trafficker Wahid Abdul Kadir Shaikh in Andheri a few days earlier. As the agency tracked down Shaikh’s clients, links emerged with Ms Saeed, who allegedly bought 10 grams of the contraband from her, the NCB said.
In recent months, leading Bollywood actors Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Rakulpreet Singh and Shraddha Kapoor have been questioned by the NCB. The agency has said this is part of its attempt to unravel a network for supplying drugs to celebrities.
The angle of drugs in Sushant Rajput’s death was pointed out after text messages about buying banned substances were allegedly found on his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty’s phone.
Ms. Chakraborty, her brother Showik, two of Sushant Singh Rajput’s employees and a few others were arrested for allegedly arranging drugs for the 34-year-old actor.
After nearly a month in jail, Ms. Chakraborty, who is also an actress, was released on bail last month.
The accusations have divided the film fraternity, with a section attacking the smear of the industry. Many well-known actors and filmmakers have been controlled by the accusations.
“I will be a liar if I say that this problem does not exist in our industry. It exists, like all industries. But all people in all professions are not involved in such problems. This is impossible,” said actor Akshay Kumar. in October.
With contributions from ANI, PTI
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