Rajshekhar Jha (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 27, 2020)

New Delhi: In a new twist to the alleged suicide case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) registered a case on Wednesday to probe allegations of drug dealing and consumption involving the actor’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and other friends.

When contacted, director general, NCB, Rakesh Asthana said, “An investigation has been put into motion and a five-member SIT (special investigation team) has been constituted to probe the case.”

The case has been registered on the basis of some documents, WhatsApp chat screenshots and a requisition letter sent to NCB by the Enforcement Directorate, sources said.

Director ED, Sanjay Mishra, is learned to have written to Asthana on Tuesday requesting to investigate the narcotics aspects of the case. The ED is probing charges of financial irregularities in the case.

Reacting to the reports, advocate Satish Maneshinde who represents Rhea Chakraborty said, “I am surprised the NCB has stepped into the case now when ED and CBI are already investigating. She is ready for a blood test anytime.” He also questioned the leak of chats bearing Rhea and her brother Showik’s signatures of August 10.

The operations unit of NCB under deputy director K P S Malhotra has been handed over the case. The Mumbai zonal unit will assist the team, an officer informed. “A preliminary inquiry was conducted at NCB. Initial findings and WhatsApp chats indicate a prima facie offence under sections of the NDPS Act is made out,” Malhotra told TOI.

Meanwhile, hotelier Gaurav Arya broke his silence amid allegations linking him to the matter. His lawyer Manu Sharma told TOI there is no substance in the allegations linking his client to Rhea. “Firstly these allegations that my client supplied any contraband to Rhea are false and baseless. He has had no contact with her for more than three years,” Sharma said in a statement.
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Agency acting on ED’s info on ‘deleted WhatsApp messages about banned drugs’
Somendranath Sharma (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 27, 2020)

Acting on information provided by the Enforcement Directorate on Rhea Chakraborty’s WhatsApp chats allegedly related to “banned drugs”, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday registered an offence against the actor under sections 20, 22, 27 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

These NDPS sections pertain to consumption of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances and abetment and criminal conspiracy. The alleged link has surfaced in connection with the criminal probe being conducted in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.

The NCB Director General Rakesh Asthana held two rounds of meetings and directed his officials to file a case after going through the evidence.

They said the case was registered by the agency’s Operations Unit which is headquartered in Delhi. The unit has pan-India jurisdiction. A special team under the supervision of NCB Deputy Director (operations) KPS Malhotra has been constituted and officials from both Delhi and Mumbai units will carry out the investigation.

An official from the NCB said the ED had retrieved deleted WhatsApp data of Rhea’s phone and had come across information indicating that she was in touch with some people dealing in drugs. “The ED has shared names of these people and we will question all of them. It is important to know how the drugs were being procured and who the clients are. It is premature to reveal anything at this point and we have just registered an offence,” the official said.

Rhea’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde has vehemently denied the drug link allegations made against the 28-year-old actor. “Rhea has never consumed drugs in her life ever. She is ready for a blood test,” he had said.
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‘Time of death, last meal missing from PM report’

Abhishek Sharan (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 27, 2020)

The CBI on Wednesday quizzed late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s former cook Neeraj Singh, his friend Siddharth Pithani, and an employee of an Andheri hotel where he allegedly stayed for several weeks. The CBI team is also trying to find out if there was any delay in conducting the autopsy on June 14-15. As per officials, the report allegedly did not cite the probable time of the death and the actor’s last meal. The CBI has also questioned a former staffer to verify if a SIM card used by Rajput was procured using his ID.