Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau on Saturday arrested television comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa after raiding two places—their production office and residence—where 86.5 grams of ganja was found.

They were arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act and will be produced before the holiday court on Sunday. “Both Bharti Singh and her husband accepted the consumption of ganja,” an NCB press release said.

NCB officials have been gunning for drug peddlers and users over the past two months and have arrested over 25 people.

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Mumbai: The NCB on Saturday arrested comedian Bharti Singh and her husband, Haarsh Limbachiyaa, with 86.5 grams of ganja. Sources said the seizure amounted to small quantity and bail was likely to be granted.

Small and commercial quantities are notified for each drug. The law defines up to 1 kg of ganja as small quantity, and 20 kg and above as commercial quantity.

“The seized drugs fall under the definition of small quantity and attract a punishment of imprisonment for a term of one year with fine or both and are triable by the magistrate court,” advocate Ayaz Khan said.

NCB officials have been gunning for drug peddlers and users since the investigation into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput threw light on the prevalence of drugs in certain sections of the film industry. Over 25 people, including actor Preetika Chauhan, film producer Firoz Nadiadwala’s wife Shabina Saeed, Australian architect Paul Bartel and South African national Agisilous Demetriades have been arrested.

Zonal NCB director Sameer Wankhede and his team also raided a place in Khar Danda and caught a 21-year-old suspected drug trafficker and seized drugs, including 15 blots of LSD, 40 grams of ganja and nitrazepam.

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The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday arrested comedian Bharti Singh after confiscating 86.5 grams of ganja (cannabis) during a search of her house and office in Andheri. The agency conducted a search of Singh’s house and office based on intelligence inputs received as part of its investigation into the alleged Bollywood-drug nexus.

The agency had summoned Singh and her producer husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa at 6.30 pm earlier on Wednesday for questioning, during which they admitted to consuming drugs.

The searches were conducted based on inputs from a 21-year-old drug peddler found in possession of LSD, 40 grams of cannabis and Nitrasepam (psychotropic material) from him, an official said.

A team led by Sameer Wankhede, the central agency's zonal director, conducted the search. “Bharti Singh was placed under arrest under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and an examination of Mr Limbachiya is underway," the NCB statement said.

The quantity allegedly seized from Singh's possession is considered as "small quantity" under the act, as against "commercial quantity", an NCB official said. Upto1,000 grams of ganja is considered a small quantity, which attracts jail term upto six months and/or fine of Rs 10,000.

Singh, who is from Punjab, rose to fame on the The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Comedy Circus shows. She has appeared in several comedy and reality TV shows since.

Limachiyaa is a screenwriter and television personality. He also owns production company H3 Productions and has written for shows including Comedy Circus Ke Tansen and dialogues for the film PM Narendra Modi.

The agency’s investigation into the alleged nexus began with an inquiry into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide in June.

In October, the agency had arrested the brother of actor Arjun Rampal’s partner Gabriella Demetriades for his alleged links with drug peddlers arrested in the case related to Rajput’s death. Agisilaos Demetriades was sent to judicial custody soon after.

On November 13, actor Arjun Rampal was questioned by the NCB in Mumbai in a drug case after a raid at his home. Rampal has maintained that he has a prescription for the drugs found during the search. Rampal’s partner Gabriella Demetriades was questioned two days before him.

On September 8, the NCB had arrested actor Rhea Chakraborty in the drug case related to Rajput’s death. It had also questioned actors Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan about their alleged roles in the same matter.

The agency had described Chakraborty as an “active member of a drug syndicate”. She was granted bail on October 7. 

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The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested comedienne Bharti Singh in a drug-related inquiry on Saturday. After finding drugs at her home during a raid, the NCB called Singh in for questioning on Saturday morning, and she was arrested late evening. An NCB official said that 86 grams of ganja was recovered from Singh's house. In the same case, the NCB officials are also questioning Singh's husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa.

According to NCB, they also raided areas in Khar Danda on Saturday, and nabbed a 21-year-old peddler, with various drugs including 15 blots of LSD (commercial quantity), ganja (40 gm) and Nitrazepam (psychotropic medicines).

In a follow up, they raided Singh's residence and office, and both Singh and her husband have accepted that they consumed ganja. After interrogation, Singh was arrested as per the provisions of NDPS Act 1986, Limbachiyaa is still being questioned.

An NCB official told mid-day, "A drug peddler was on our radar, and we had been watching him. As soon as we detained him, he gave us the names Bharti and her husband Haarsh, after which the house and office of Singh were raided." This raid has been taken at a time when NCB is expanding the scope of its investigation regarding the alleged use of drugs in the film and entertainment industry.

NCB Mumbai, Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, confirmed the arrests to mid-day. Two weeks ago, NCB had raided actor Arjun Rampal's house and summoned him and his girlfriend Gabriella Demetriades for questioning. Rampal's live-in partner, Demetriades, was questioned for two consecutive days, while Rampal was questioned for six hours last week.