Showik-Miranda to face joint grilling with drug peddlers; NCB seizes key digital evidence

In a massive development on Friday, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has sent the summons to Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik and Sushant's ex-house manager Samuel Miranda. While Miranda has been picked by the NCB team and has been taken to the agency's office in Mumbai's Ballard Pier, sources said that Showik has called the NCB team & urged to join the probe 'due to media presence.' 

NCB Deputy Director KPS Malhotra confirmed that Showik, Miranda will be jointly interrogated and they will be made to confront drug peddlers also. As the NCB team raided the house of Rhea and Miranda on Friday morning, the agency has seized Showik's laptop and crucial digital evidence. Moreover, drug peddler Basit is currently being taken for medical test and then is likely to be produced before magistrate court.

READ | HUGE: NCB also raids Samuel Miranda's house along with Rhea's amid Sushant case drug angle

NCB raids Rhea's and Samuel Miranda's house

In a massive development on Friday, the NCB raided Rhea Chakraborty's residence who is the prime accused in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. The NCB team reached Rhea’s residence on early Friday morning and began searching the house for any further evidence that may confirm that the accused was dealing in narcotics. Shortly after, NCB also raided Samuel Miranda's residence, and sources informed that Rhea's laptop hard drive may be seized. 

READ | NCB raids Rhea Chakraborty's house amid drug angle in Sushant Singh Rajput death probe

Republic TV on Thursday, accessed a WhatsApp chat between Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik from 15th March 2020, where the siblings are seeing discussing 'buds' (marijuana). In a private WhatsApp group — including Rhea, Showik, Samuel Miranda, Dipesh Sawant — the conversation indicates revolving around drug procurement.

Rhea in the chat asks Showik, 'How many buds are required' and her brother replies explaining how they will procure it.  The role of Rhea's brother Showik and his purported links with the people nabbed by the NCB is under the scanner of the agency and he and Rajput's manager Samuel Miranda are expected to be summoned for questioning soon, sources have said.

Republic TV has already reported that the NCB on Wednesday arrested an alleged drug dealer named Zaid who has revealed the name of another person named Basit who was in contact with Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik. Earlier, the sources said had said that Zaid knew Showik and supplied drugs to him but as per the latest inputs, Basit was a middleman and has also been detained.

CBI issues statement

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday released the first statement after taking over Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. In the statement, CBI countered the 'fake news' narrative and asserted that 'no details have been shared' with anyone.

The CBI stated that the 'speculative reports' run by some channels and clarified that 'no spokesperson or any team member has spoken or shared details of the ongoing investigation with media.' CBI's statement comes after few reports claimed that 'CBI officers independently informed about not having found any proof of homicide in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.'

READ | Sushant Death Probe LIVE Updates

Full statement here:

The CBI is conducting investigation related to  death of Sh. Sushant Singh Rajput in a systematic and professional way.

Certain media reports attributed to CBI investigation are speculative and not based on facts. It is reiterated that as a matter of Policy, CBI does not share details of ongoing investigation. CBI spokesperson or any team member has not shared any details of investigation with media.  The details being reported and attributed to CBI are not credible. 

It is requested that media may please confirm details from CBI Spokesperson before quoting CBI.

READ | Sushant death probe: CBI issues first statement; puts an end to 'suicide theory' reports