Sushant Singh Rajput case: NCB arrests drug peddler in Goa

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested a drug peddler in Goa in connection with the drug case linked to Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, an official said on Friday.

The accused, Hemal Shah, was nabbed by a team of the anti-drug agency, he said. "Shah's alleged involvement came to light during the investigation of a drugs case linked to Sushant Singh Rajput's death," he said.

Accordingly, a trap was laid and Shah was apprehended in Goa, he said, adding that he will be produced before a court later in the day. The NCB had launched a probe into the alleged use of drugs in the film and entertainment industry after Rajput was found dead at his home in Mumbai in June last year.

The central agency had earlier arrested Rajput's girlfriend, actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and a few others under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Rhea and some other accused are currently out on bail.

Sushant Singh Rajput death case

It has been eleven months since actor Sushant Singh Rajput left for heavenly abode on June 14, 2020, which came as a huge blow to the entertainment industry along with his fans all across the globe. Initially, the Mumbai Police commenced the investigation of the case stating it was a suicide. However, later the Enforcement Directorate, Narcotics Control Bureau, and Central Bureau of Investigation probed the case and found several loopholes in the Mumbai police’s investigation. The death probe is still ongoing, with CBI's most recent update coming a few days before the end of 2020.

The Central Bureau of Investigation then took over the case from Mumbai Police, which had been investigating the case till then, on the directions of the Supreme Court on August 19. 

The CBI is yet to come out with any major update in the case, except that no angle had been ruled out.

(with PTI inputs)