'High profile people' were buying from arrested Kshitij; NCB maps out his drug chain role

Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has Kshitij Ravi Prasad on Saturday after uncovering facts about his alleged involvement in the drug nexus in Bollywood. As per sources, during interrogation, it was established that Prasad was asking for drugs as evident through his WhatsApp chats with drug peddlers Ankush, Anuj Keswani and Karamjeet.

It has come to light that Kshitij Prasad would ask for drugs and drug peddler Ankush Arneja would deliver them through Sanket and Anuj Keswani. In the chats accessed by the NCB officials, it was revealed that Kshitij would ask for hash and MDMA. During his interrogation, however, he has admitted to 'occasionally' consuming only marijuana and no hard drugs.

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Kshitij has been arrested because of the sketchy responses to most questions and as per sources, NCB officials asserted the need for custodial interrogation. Ankush Arneja has already been arrested by NCB and allegedly runs a high profile kitchen in South Bombay. As per sources, Ankush would sell chemical drugs such as MDMA and weed to high-profile individuals including businessmen and A-list Bollywood celebrities. 

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Kshitij has been the intermediate between these A-listers and Ankush to procure hash and MDMA, as per sources, though he claimed to the NCB that he never sold drugs for money. The NCB has revealed that it intends to widen its probe from celebrities to drug peddlers and further to the kingpins at the head of the entire nexus at play in Bollywood.

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Drugs seized from Kshitij's residence

Kshitij Ravi Prasad was picked up from his Versova residence on Friday after the agency conducted raids there. Marijuana has been seized from Kshitij’s place during searches. Kshitij had only hours earlier landed in Mumbai from Delhi where he was on Thursday when summons were issued to him. His house was raided by the agency officials on Thursday as well. Alleged peddler Ankush Arneja had confessed to the agency, many times, that Kshitij procured drugs from him.

Karan Johar, meanwhile, had distanced himself and Dharma Productions from both Kshitij and Anubhav (another who was questioned by the NCB), claiming that they weren't full-time employees, were not personally known to him, and that it is not his concern what they do in their personal time. He also refuted using drugs himself. About Kshitij specifically, Karan Johar said, "Kshitij Ravi Prasad joined Dharmatic Entertainment (sister concern of Dharma Productions) in November 2019 as one of the executive producers on contract basis for a project which eventually didn't materialise."

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