The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been probing swiftly into the alleged Bollywood drug cartel that exists in the film industry, nabbing peddlers, interrogating actors and reaching closer to the 'big fish'. As the NCB furthers its probe, here is a brief timeline of the investigations under the NCB in the past one month.

Timeline

ED apprises NCB

• On August 25, NCB received official communication from the Enforcement Directorate, revealing various chats that it had accessed from Rhea's phone related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation. Taking cognizance of the matter, NCB conducted a preliminary enquiry and launched an investigation in the matter.

Peddlers arrested 

• Based on the network analysis undertaken by the NCB, further links were explored and one of the nodes of the network was busted on the intervening night of August 27-28. A raid was conducted in Mumbai and two persons named Abbas Lakhani and Karan Arora were arrested and marijuana buds were nabbed from their possession.
• The detailed network analysis uncovered the linkages of Abbas Lakhani with peddler Zaid Vilatra. 
• After due procedure and taking evidence on record, Zaid was apprehended. During the search, Rs 9,55,750 and foreign currency of US $2081, 180 British Pound and 15 Dirham was recovered from Zaid's possession.
•  Zaid then disclosed that he runs an eatery shop at Bandra and that he is into the drug peddling, dealing largely with marijuana buds, through which he used to earn a substantial amount of money.
• Based on his interrogation, peddler Abdel Basit Parihar was made to join the investigation.

Rhea & Showik join the interrogation 

• Abdel Basit Parihar then stated that he used to procure buds and weed for his friend Showik Chakraborty.
• Showik was asked to join the investigation wherein he accepted that he used to procure weed and buds through Basit Parihar and Kaizan Ebrahim and passed it over to his sister Rhea Chakraborty who further passed it to Sushant Singh Rajput. He added that Samuel Miranda and Dipesh Sawant would collect the said contraband and provide it to Sushant after making joints.
• Shortly after, Rhea Chakraborty was arrested after during her interrogation.
• Meanwhile, Kaizan was apprehended. He stated that he used to procure drugs from Anuj Keshwani.
• Anuj Keshwani was apprehended from his residence at Bandra. During the search, Charas, Ganja, THC and LSD were seized along with Rs1,85,200. He revealed the name of Karamjeet Singh.
•  In the further course of investigation Karamjeet, Fernandes, Gupta, Aftaab Mohammad, Ankush and Sanket were apprehended and narcotics were seized from their possession. 

Read: Mumbai Police Tried To Protect Big Fish, Now Karan Johar Will Have Koffee With NCB: Sirsa

Read: NCB Files Drug Consumption Case Against Sanam & Abigail; Raids Multiple Mumbai Locations

Celebrities named in case 

• While Rhea was arrested due to primary evidence of her linkages with the drug trafficking network, her statement was also recorded in Case Crime no. 15/2020, in which she dwelled into other aspects, wherein violations of provisions of NDPS Act were noted. 
• The digital forensics of seized communication devices led to some workable information which was verified subsequently. 
• Kwan Talent Manager Jaya Saha, manager Shruti Modi, Producer Madhu Mantenna, fashion designer Simone Khambatta were examined based on these pieces of evidence. 
•  Actor-choreographer couple Abigail Pande and Sanam Johar were also apprehended, a case has been registered against them.
• As of September 25, Rakul Preet and Kwan manager Karishma Prakash have joined the investigation.
• Actor Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, managed by Kwan are said to appear for the investigation on September 26.

Read: Second Karan Johar-Dharma Employee Grilled By NCB Over Drugs; Anubhav Chopra After Kshitij

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