From Deepika, Sara & Shraddha's grilling to Kshitij's arrest, an update of NCB probe today

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday summoned several Bollywood A-listers for interrogation about their alleged role in the drug nexus being probed by the central agency.

Kshitij Ravi Prasad arrested

Dharma Productions-associated executive producer Kshitij Ravi Prasad was placed under arrest by the NCB on Saturday morning for procuring drugs for influential people including businessmen and film celebrities. Kshitij Ravi Prasad had also been named by an alleged peddler Ankush Arneja, also arrested by the NCB, as well as actor Rakul Preet Singh in her confession to the agency. The latter even named him for supplying drugs to her close associates in Bollywood. 

Deepika Padukone accepts 'maal' chats

During his interrogation, Kshitij revealed the names of 5 Bollywood celebrities and 2 producers in connection with the drugs angle. Later on Saturday, Deepika Padukone and her manager Karishma Prakash reached the NCB Guest House at Colaba in Mumbai for interrogation. Deepika was confronted about her group chats with Jaya Saha, an employee of KWAN talent management agency (one that manages Deepika's work) and the alleged kingpin, and the actor accepted that she had asked for 'maal' in those chats. However, sources at the NCB informed that the agency has not given a clean chit to the actor and that her responses seemed 'evasive and tutored'.

Read | Deepika Padukone 'evasive & tutored' in NCB grilling; no clean chit & may be called again

Karishma says 'hash not drug'; Shraddha keeps mum on CBD order

Karishma Prakash, on the other hand, was confronted with her chats with alleged drug peddler Anuj Keswani, where she stated that ‘hash’ was not a drug. She followed Jaya Saha who had claimed earlier that ‘doobies’ and buds’ were not terms for curated marijuana, but terms used for cigarettes by 'high society'. Shraddha Kapoor, meanwhile, denied consuming drugs but has accepted her chats with Jaya Saha. Despite her admission to the agency on chatting with Jaya Saha, Shraddha Kappor remained silent about the procurement and consumption of CBD oil. 

Read | NCB issues statement after marathon grilling of Sara, Shraddha, Deepika; Kshitij arrested

Sara denies consuming; NCB impounds phones of all summoned

Sara Ali Khan also denied that she consumed drugs and also brought up the late actor stating that he consumed drugs.

Sources have also informed that the NCB has seized the cellphones of all these actors after their interrogation in order to collect more digital evidence of their involvement in the drug cartel in Bollywood. The agency has not issued any summons for Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan for another round of interrogation.

Read | Don't cast actors prosecuted by NCB as addicts: Athawale warns filmmakers; 'gender no bar'

NCB to submit report to DG Rakesh Asthana

The NCB Director-General of the Southwest region, Muthu Ashok Jain addressed the media on Saturday evening and shared that their findings will now be reviewed in order to determine their future course of action. He also revealed that above 18 arrests have been made under the case and many people have been interrogated in the due course. It was also informed that the SIT at NCB's Mumbai Zonal Office will send an investigation report to the agency's main Director-General Rakesh Asthana within 3 days which hints at a concrete finding by the agency.

Read | Bollywood drug probe: NCB to file status report in 3 days; will send to DG Rakesh Asthana