Probing the Bollywood drug nexus, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday raided actor Deepika Padukone's manager Karishma Prakash's residence in Mumbai.
NCB seized charas, CBD oil from Deepika's manager Karishma Prakash's residence
According to the reports, the NCB has raided Karishma's Versova residence and recovered 1.8 grams of charas and at least two bottles of CBD oil.
NCB states that Prakash was not there at the residence when the search was carried on
Speaking to the media after the raids, an NCB official said, "Prakash's name cropped up during the questioning of one of the paddlers arrested by us in the case in which we are looking to bust drug networks around Bollywood, Based on the information, we raided her residence today. We found 1.7 grams of charas and at least two bottles of CBD oil."
The official also added that, at the time of the raid, Prakash was not at her residence in Versova and the search was carried out in the presence of her acquaintances.
Karishma Prakash (Deepika Padukone's manager) has been summoned for investigation tomorrow: Sameer Wankhede, Zonal Director, Narcotics Control Bureau, Mumbai pic.twitter.com/P6HuWOwRm8
— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2020
"We have called her for questioning tomorrow to NCB, however, her phone has been switched off and we do not know where she is," an official said. The official also added that Prakash had violated sections of the NDPS Act and would be given a chance to defend herself before a decision to add her name to the FIR is taken.
Deepika's manager is 'untraceable'
According to an NDTV report, NCB officials claimed that Prakash was currently untraceable and that a notice had been posted on the door of her Mumbai house.
Deepika Padukone summoned by NCB.
For the unversed, Prakash had previously been questioned by the NCB in connection with an FIR that had been registered in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput case. In addition to Prakash, Deepika Padukone had also been questioned by the NCB last month and had recorded her statement. after the NCB allegedly found chats related to the consumption of narcotics on Rajput's former manager's phone.
In her statement, Padukone told the police that the discussions were not about narcotics but about cigarettes.
During the interrogation, the NCB officials had confronted Deepika Padukone with the digital evidence gathered from Jaya Saha's phone that showed the actor's chats about procuring 'maal' for her.
Deepika Padukone was intrograted
On September 26, Deepika Padukone was interrogated by the NCB for her alleged role in drug procuring. The investigative agency grilled the Bollywood actor for almost 5 hours after which her mobile phone was seized and sent to Directorate of Forensic Sciences (DFS) in Gandhinagar, in an attempt to examine deleted chats and videos.
NCB has arrested 24 people in relation to the drug case
The 24 persons arrested in relation to the case under the Mumbai unit include South African National Agisilaos Demetriades, the brother-in-law of actor Arjun Rampal, cook and housekeeper of Rajput, Rhea and her brother Showik in addition to some drug peddlers.
