NCB files response in Kshitij Prasad's plea, anticipates tampering of evidence if released

In the latest development in Kshitij Prasad's case, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the bail hearing scheduled for Wednesday filed their response to Prasad's application before the NDPS court. The agency claimed that all allegations by Kshitij Prasad claiming that he was forced to give a testimony implicating several Bollywood celebrities are baseless. The NCB also stated that Kshitij may tamper with evidence in the alleged drug racket, if released. The court will now hear the bail application on Friday, October 16.

Read | Before NCB remand, here's what Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer said while appearing for Kshitij

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday opposed a bail plea filed by Kshitij Prasad, former executive producer of Dharmatic Entertainment, and claimed that he gave the statement voluntarily and no false claims were inserted in it. In its written reply filed before the court, NCB denied his allegations and continued that Prasad, along with other accused, was part of a drug procurement and distribution racket. The NCB also claimed that Prasad was trying to get section 27A (financing illicit traffic and harboring offenders) of the NDPS Act, under which he has been booked, dropped in return for signing his statement. 

He was arrested on September 26 in the drug case related to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. Rajput's girlfriend and actor Rhea Chakraborty is among the accused in the case. Rhea is now out on bail.

Read | NCB shocked at Kshitij's influence as top officials, netas exert pressure; names to tumble

In his previous appearance before the court on October 3, he had elaborated in detail the manner in which he was being coerced into falsely implicating certain other persons from the film fraternity by the NCB. His lawyer, Satish Maneshinde (also Rhea's attorney) has stated in the bail plea that "despite having no connection with the subject matter of the present crime, the officials at the central agency have used conjecture, speculation and sweeping assumptions to deliberately rope in Kshitij in order to harass him and exercise undue pressure over him".

Read | Kshitij Prasad gives big name to NCB; claims he 'was asked to buy'

Read | NCB summons Karan Johar's company's executive Kshitij Prasad In Drug Probe; raids his home