Sushant Singh Rajput case: 10 new developments in drug angle

As Deepika Padukone travels from Goa to Mumbai to attend her summons by Narcotics Control Bureau and arms herself with a team of legal experts, here are the top 10 developments in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. The drug angle in the actor’s death gained momentum this week with several top Bollywood stars expected to appear before the NCB for questioning …

1. Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone, who is one of India’s top talents, has been summoned for questioning by the Narcotics Control Bureau on September 25. Sushant Singh Rajput’s death has triggered a massive sweep of Bollywood and ignited debates about rampant substance abuse among stars. Rajput, who was found dead at his home on June 14, is believed to have been an habitual drug abuser and a series of WhatsApp Chats unearthed by television channel journalists in India point towards his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty aiding his drug use; in particular, arranging cannabis for him from local drug dealers in Mumbai. According to reports, Padukone will travel from Goa — where is shooting for a film directed by Shakun Batra along with actor Siddharth Chaturvedi — and reach Mumbai to attend her summons.

2. Padukone’s name emerged when TV channel Times Now released a series of WhatsApp conversations allegedly exchanged between the actress and her manager about procuring hash. After her name cropped up, the security at her residence in Mumbai has been beefed up.

3. Padukone isn’t the only one who who has been summoned at the NCB guesthouse in Colaba in Mumbai. In the next few days, actors including Sara Ali Khan — also Rajput’s co-star in her debut film ‘Kedarnath’, Shraddha Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh will be summoned for questioning by the NCB. In an interview with AFP, deputy director of NCB KPS Malhotra named these three actors specifically and confirmed that they will be summoned for questioning soon. Several reports also emerged that Rajput’s secretary Jaya Saha has revealed the names of four top male stars during her interrogation by NCB. The names are yet to be revealed by the authorities.

4. Some say that Padukone is being targeting for her anti-establishment political leaning. Earlier this year in January, Padukone joined students protesting against the recent violence on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus. The move wasn’t appreciated by the ruling party in India as it was rare for Bollywood actors to take a strong political stand as they fear being penalised by political power houses later.

5. While it was speculated that Chakraborty was the whistle blower about the seamier side of Bollywood, Chakraborty’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde claims that his client has not named anyone in Bollywood. He quashed reports that Chakraborty had named actresses such as Padukone, Khan, Kapoor and Singh during her rounds of questioning. “Rhea Chakraborty has not named anybody in her statement. If NCB or anybody is making a statement that she has leaked, it’s totally false. There is no thread of evidence that suggests that Rhea Chakraborty has named anybody apart from what Sushant Singh Rajput had consumed all his life when she was with him,” said lawyer Maneshinde in an interview with television channel CNNNews18.

6. Chakraborty was denied bail on September 11 on the grounds that her release might alert others and might destroy evidence. But her team isn’t giving up. Another application was filed at the Bombay High Court and it will be heard today (September 24). She and her brother Showik, who were close to Rajput before the days leading to his death, was arrested on September 9 by the Narcotics Control Bureau over drug charges. According to several news reports, a special court has extended their judicial custody until October 6.

7. Film producer Madhu Mantena, who co-produced ‘Udta Punjab’, was one of the first male talents to be summoned by the NCB. The producer was spotted at the NCB guesthouse several times including at 11.30am in South Mumbai on September 24 to record his statement. According to an official in NCB, the producer has been called in for questioning in connection with the agency’s probe into the alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus and Rajput’s death. Apparently, Rajput’s talent manger Saha had coughed up his name.

8. When Padukone’s chats with her manager, employed by KWAN Talent Management Agency emerged, it was believed that Salman Khan was indirectly involved. There was speculation that Khan was a major stake holder in KWAN talent agency, but his lawyer Anand Desia issued a statement slamming such reports as false and baseless. “Certain sections of the media are falsely reporting that our client Mr Salman Khan, a leading Indian actor, has a majority stake in the talent management agency KWAN Talent Management Agency Private Limited. It is clarified that Mr Salman Khan has no stake, directly or indirectly, in Kwan or any of its group entities. It is requested that media refrains from publishing false reports about our client,” read the statement.

9. Salman Khan’s colleague and producer of ‘Dabbang 3’ Nikhil Dwivedi also extended his support and tweeted: “This news is false, malicious & mischievous. No stake of any kind is owned by #SalmanKhan or by any of his associates in #Kwan. Such knowledge in today’s times is easily available in the public domain and its deplorable tht a major News Channel can’t verify as much. #Sad #Shameful.”

10. The Narcotics Control Bureau has also reportedly summoned Dharma Productions director and executive producer Kshitji Ravi Prasad in relation to their probe into Rajput’s death. Dharma Productions is owned by prominent Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar (pictured).