Actresses Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh have been issued summons by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drugs case linked to the investigation of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. The high-profile actresses have been informed to appear in front of the NCB in the next three days for questioning in the widening probe into the Bollywood-drug nexus, which emerged during the investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Deepika Padukone has been summoned to appear on September 25, while while Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan have been summoned on September 26.
Deepika Padukone has been summoned on September 25 while Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan have been summoned on September 26. https://t.co/uPARX6Setw
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2020
Earlier, Deepika Padukone's manager Karishma Prakash had been interrogated after WhatsApp chats dating back to October 2017 between the two were retrieved from actress Rhea Chakraborty's mobile phone, who was Sushant Singh Rajput's girlfriend at the time of his death. During questioning Rhea Chakraborty, the actress had allegedly named Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh in her statement to the NCB. Shraddha's name surfaced in the case after it was reported that she had participated in the celebrations of Sushant's film, Chhichhore, at his Lonavala farmhouse, where drugs were allegedly used. Shraddha had played the role of the female lead in Chhichhore.
Actress Dia Mirza’s name too had come up in the ongoing Bollywood-drug nexus scandal after which she quickly took to social media to rebuke the allegations and issue a clarification. In her statement, she mentioned how it held the possibility of causing damage to her career. She wrote, "I would like to strongly refute and categorically deny this news as being false, baseless and with mala fide intentions. Such frivolous reporting has a direct impact on my reputation being besmirched and is causing damage to my career which I have painstakingly built with years of hard work. I have never procured or consumed any narcotic or contraband substances of any form in my life. I intend to pursue the full extent of legal remedies available to me as a law abiding citizen of India. Thanks to my supporters for standing by me."
Up until now, the NCB has arrested 12 persons in connection with the drug case linked to Sushant Singh Rajput's death case among whom include Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda, personal staff Dipesh Sawant and others.