NCB arrests Dharma Productions employee Kshitij Ravi Prasad in Bollywood drug case

MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday arrested Dharma Productions executive producer Kshitij Ravi Prasad in connection with a drug case related to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, NCB officials said.

The NCB had on Friday detained Prasad for questioning in connection with an alleged drug nexus in Bollywood. Responding to the development, filmmaker and Dharma Productions owner Karan Johar had late on Friday night denied the claims that Prasad is associated with the organisation.

Mumbai: Narcotics Control Bureau officials take Kshitij Ravi Prasad for medical examination as a part of formalities before his arrest pic.twitter.com/bo9y22KrRx

— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2020

Johar had said Prasad had joined Dharmatic Entertainment, a sister concern of Dharma Productions, in November 2019 as one of the executive producers "on contract basis for a project, which did not eventually materialise" while Anubhav Chopra, who was also questioned by the NCB, worked with them on projects for short durations between 2011 and 2013.

Earlier today, Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone had appeared before the NCB for questioning in the case. Actor Rakul Preet Singh's statement was also recorded by the Special Investigative Team (SIT) of the NCB in the case yesterday.

The NCB had launched an investigation into the drugs case after it received official communication from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which was investigating the money trail related to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. In the investigation, many revelations surfaced including various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation.

The ED had on July 31 registered an Enforcement Case Information Report in the late actor's death case after an FIR was filed by Rajput's father KK Singh against Rhea Chakraborty in Bihar on July 28. Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14.