Deepika Padukone likely to be summoned for questioning in drugs case

Deepika Padukone

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), investigating the drug syndicate linked to Bollywood, is likely to summon actress Deepika Padukone. The NCB officials have confirmed that her name has also surfaced during the ongoing investigation in the drug angle in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case.

According to sources, during the questioning Sushant's talent manager Jaya Saha, names of several Bollywood celebrities surfaced for allegedly procuring drugs banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The agency found Saha's chats with actor Shraddha Kapoor and another top Bollywood actress from the 90s. In the SMS conversations, the actress allegedly asked Saha to arrange for MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, for her. To which Saha replied saying, "You are turning me into a peddler but your wish is my command."

The agency also found that Saha was providing CBD oil to celebrities. In one of the chats, Shraddha allegedly asked Saha to arrange for CBD oil, to which Saha responded 'sending' and Shraddha thanked her.

The NCB has now found Deepika Padukone's name in one of the chats, where she is allegedly asking for banned narcotics substances.

"Everyone whose name has surfaced in our ongoing investigation will be summoned for questioning. The arrests will be based on their statement and further disclosure," a senior NCB officer said on the condition of anonymity.

The questioning with Jaya Saha and Sushant's business manager Shruti Modi is currently going on at NCB office in South Mumbai. "We are recording the statements of both and based on their statement, we will decide the further course of action," added the NCB officer.

Earlier in the day, NCB had summoned Karishma Prakash, the manager of Deepika Padukone, and Dhruv Chitgopekar, CEO of the Kwan talent management agency for questioning.

The NCB had also confirmed that they will soon record the statements of actress Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh and designer Simone Khambatta over alleged charges of consuming drugs.

The NCB has already arrested Sushant's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda, personal staff Dipesh Sawant and over 15 others in the case so far.

The NCB has registered a case on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after the alleged drug chats of Showik, Miranda and several others came to the fore.

Sushant was found hanging in his Bandra's Mont Blanc apartment on June 14.

Besides the CBI and the ED, NCB is the third agency to probe into the death case of Sushant.

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