Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor's phones seized by NCB for forensic analysis in Bollywood drug case probe

According to sources, the central probe agency confiscated the cell phones of three actresses. The agency will send the seized phones for forensic examination.

PTI photo

MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday recorded statements of actors Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan in the drug probe linked to Sushant Singh Rajput's death and an alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus. Sources said the central probe agency confiscated the cell phones of three actresses after interrogating them for several hours today. The agency will send the seized phones for forensic examination. 

According to report, the NCB has also seized phones of Rakul Preet, Simone Khambatta, Karishma Prakash and Jaya Shah. Sources said that the agency seized a total seven phones today and will take help from forensic experts to retrieve data from them in connection with the drug angle. 

Actress Shraddha Kapoor, who reached the NCB office at around 12 pm, was interrogated for almost six hours. Sara Ali Khan had reached at around 1 pm and walked out of the office at around 5.30 pm, said a PTI report.

Deepika was confronted with her manager Karishma Prakash during questioning, sources said. Padukone, who reached the guest house around 9.50 am, left at 3.50 pm. Karishma, who was also quizzed on Friday too, was also allowed to leave around 3.40 pm. According to NCB sources, Karishma Prakash's WhatsApp chats included conversations about drugs with one 'D' and the central agency wanted to find out who this person was.

The NCB team also got important information from Sushant Singh Rajput's talent manager Jaya Saha. Sara and actor Rakul Preet Singh's names cropped up during the questioning of Rhea Chakraborty. Rakul was questioned on Friday.

The agency arrested Kshitij Ravi Prasad in the drugs case linked to Rajput's death on Saturday. He was picked up by a team of NCB from his residence in suburban Versova on Friday morning and questioned all day at its Ballard Estate office. He was not seen leaving the office even late at night. On Friday, NCB had also questioned Dharma Productions' Anubhav Chopra in connection with film industry-drug nexus.

In a statement, film-maker Karan Johar had said Prasad joined Dharmatic Entertainment, sister concern of Johar's Dharma Productions, in November 2019 on a contract basis for a project which did not materialise. Chopra was briefly associated with his banner as an assistant director and worked only on two projects, he said.

The NCB had earlier arrested actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and some suspected drug peddlers.

Meanwhile, considering the media frenzy around the 'A-lister' Bollywood stars who are being questioned in the case, the Mumbai Police on Saturday issued a warning that media should not engage in reckeless chases of actors' vehicles.