Sushant's staff Dipesh Sawant grilled overnight; NCB team summons Rhea Chakraborty

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is all set to produce Sushant Singh Rajput’s staff Dipesh Sawant in court at 11 AM on Sunday after arresting him a day earlier. His arrest comes after NCB was given the custody of Rhea Chkarborty's brother Showik and Sushant's ex-house manager Samuel Miranda following their own arrests. Sources from the NCB told Republic Media Network that Sawant was interrogated after his arrest from 10 PM on Saturday night and NCB will seek his remand on the basis of his alleged role in procuring drugs. 

Further, NCB sources said that Dipesh Sawant has some corroborative evidence which needs to be cross-examined. NCB Deputy DG Mutha Ashok Jain said that the investigation in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case has given an inkling into the narcotics network in Bollywood. 

In its media briefing on Saturday, the NCB maintained silence on issuing summons to Rhea Chakraborty but informed that technical gadgets and diaries were seized during the raids at her residence. On seizing drugs during the investigation of this case, NCB Deputy Director KPS Malhotra replied, “We seized drugs from Karan, and from Abbas. Drug proceeds, in Indian and foreign currency, we seized that from Zaid. If someone has sold drugs and earned from it, that is also considered as drugs, and a specific section was added."  At the time of publishing, however, a team of NCB officials , with summons likely to be issued. 

READ | Sushant's family shares message for NCB via pet Fudge; Ankita reacts to Showik's arrest

Showik, Miranda in NCB's custody

In a massive development in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik and Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda have been sent to 4-day custody. A Mumbai court has given the custody of both to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) till September 9. Alleged drug peddler Kaizan was also sent to 14 days of judicial custody, but was granted bail on a surety of Rs 10,000.

Showik Chakraborty has allegedly confessed that he had procured drugs on the instructions of his sister Rhea Chakraborty. Moreover, Showik claimed that Rhea had allegedly asked him and Samuel Miranda to procure drugs adding that he was in contact with several other drug peddlers, as per NCB sources. 

READ | NCB gives details of seizures from raids at Rhea's home, reacts to 'deep-rooted' nexus

Showik met Basit at football club in Bandra

Top sources have told Republic Media Network that Showik met alleged drug peddler Basit Parihar at a football club in Bandra and they soon became friends. Basit introduced him to Kaizan. Kaizan works as a PR executive in a restaurant, sources said, adding that he allegedly supplied drugs to friends through Showik contacts.

Sources also said that they tried to sell buds at the football club where youngsters would come to play. They said that Showik, Basit, Zaid, Kaizan, Karan and Abbas were dealing with curated marijuana or bud. They had purchased buds and sold it off at a profit margin of five times. A local weed has 7 to ten percent THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) but buds have 28 to 35 THC which makes it very potent and lethal, sources said.

READ | Showik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda Sent To 4-day NCB Custody

NCB's probe in Sushant's case

NCB has so far arrested eight individuals in the case, namely,  Abbas Lakhani, Karan Arora, Abdel Basit Parihar, Samuel Miranda, Showik Chakraborty, Dipesh Sawant, Kaizan Ebrahim and Zaid Vilatra. NCB had registered case under sections 20, 27 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), to probe into the drug angle of the case after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) handed over relevant documents regarding the same.

ED has analysed WhatsApp conversations between Rhea and the others regarding consuming weed and Cannabidiol (CBD) illegally since 2017. It summarises three conversations which point to  - illegal procurement of weed by Showik in April-May 2020, Saha delivering CBD to Rhea to allegedly mix with Rajput's coffee in November 2019 and similar such conversations about procuring drugs illegally in March 2017 and April 2020. 

READ | NCB arrests Sushant's staff Dipesh Sawant after Showik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda