Actor Rhea Chakraborty, arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with its ongoing investigation into allegations of drug abuse and distribution in the case of the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, has named actors Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh and designer Simone Khambatta in their statement, authorities said Monday.
KPS Malhotra, the agency’s deputy director, said their duties cannot be assigned at this time and NCB has not issued them a subpoena so far.
SEE ALSO | Rhea Names Top Bollywood Celebrities In Drug Case – Reports | Sushant’s death
On Saturday, the agency conducted raids in various locations in Mumbai and Goa, and arrested six more people as part of its investigation of the case.
Karam Jeet Singh Anand, a Bandra resident, alias KJ, was taken for questioning to the agency’s South Mumbai office and later arrested. Authorities have said Anand is part of the drug syndicate that the agency had arrested as part of its ongoing investigation.
NCB agents also arrested Dwayne Anthony Fernandes and two other people from Dadar and, after a raid in Powai, Ankush Arenja was arrested. Arenja used to receive contraband from Anand and provide it to the arrested defendant Anuj Keshwani, according to NCB. The agency also arrested Chris Costa of Goa in the same case.
So far, 16 people have been arrested, including Rhea. The other defendants arrested are members of the Rajput domestic staff, Samuel Miranda and Dipesh Sawant; Rea’s brother Showik; and six suspected drug traffickers. Reportedly, Showik’s statement to NCB listed Anand as a “supplier.”
Chakraborty and Showik were in custody on Friday until September 22. Miranda, Sawant and the alleged drug traffickers Zaid Vilatra and Abdel Basit Parihar are also in judicial custody. Keshwani was in the custody of NCB until Monday. Three others, Ebrahim, Karan Arora, Abbas Lakhani, were released on bail shortly after their arrest.
Chakraborty has maintained that he is innocent.
Chakraborty and Showik had said in their bond statement that they were wrongly charged under section 27A (illicit trafficking financing and harboring offenders) of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS). They said his alleged role in the Rajput’s death is the same as that of Ebrahim, who was granted bail a day after his arrest.
.
