Deepika Padukone was reportedly the admin of WhatsApp group about drugs
Bollywood stars Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh and Sara Ali Khan appeared before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday with regards to the ongoing drug probe in the Indian film industry, reported Filmfare. The notorious case has opened a Pandora's box on the consumption of recreational narcotics by Bollywood bigwigs.
Padukone, Kapoor, Singh and Khan are the latest celebs to have been summoned by the NCB after actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty were arrested in the same case. Now, reports have emerged that the Padmaavat star was the admin of a WhatsApp group in which drugs were discussed. According to Times Now, talent manager Jaya Saha made this disclosure to the NCB during questioning.
The actors were called in connection to the drugs angle in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, which has allegedly uncovered a larger nexus in Bollywood. NCB sources have said that the WhatsApp group on the basis of which the Ram Leela star came under suspicion was administered by the actor herself. Saha was also an “admin” on it.
Meanwhile, fashion designer Simone Khambatta, on Thursday, visited the NCB office in Mumbai for interrogation. Karishma Prakash, who works at the popular KWAN talent management agency, was summoned this week as well. KWAN CEO Dhruv Chitgopekar and film producer Madhu Mantena also appeared before the NCB for questioning in the matter. Shruti Modi, a former business manager of Rajput’s, was questioned by the NCB in the case in the past as well.
The NCB had launched an investigation after it received official communication from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) wherein there were various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation. What began with Chakraborty and her brother’s arrests over charges of procurement and having links with drug peddlers earlier this month has now intensified with a number of film and TV actors being questioned.
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