Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau questioned actor Arjun Rampal for nearly five hours on Monday as part of its probe into seizure of certain painkillers from his flat last month.

During a raid at his flat, NCB had seized two strips of painkillers Clonazepam and Tramadol which are opiates (contain opium). They have to be specifically prescribed by doctors for pain relief.

NCB officials said Rampal had submitted two prescriptions from two doctors in Mumbai and Delhi. “There is some discrepancy in a prescription submitted to us from a doctor in Delhi. The doctor is reputed but there are some discrepancies, including the date. This prescription appears to be backdated, hence we have sought a clarification. We are investigating it,” he said.

Officials said they have found some discrepancy in his statement too. “This is all part of the probe,” an official said.

NCB had earlier questioned Arjun Rampal’s partner Gabriella Demetriades. The agency had arrested Gabriella’s brother Agisilaos from a resort in Lonavala in October for alleged possession of drugs. The resort was raided and 0.8gm of charas was allegedly recovered from him. He was placed under arrest under the NDPS Act.

The special NDPS court granted him bail recently and directed him to deposit his passport to the NCB and submit Rs 50,000 in cash.

He was also asked not to leave the country without prior permission from the court.

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The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Monday questioned Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal for close to six hours in connection with a raid conducted at his residence last month, where the agency had found tablets banned under the NDPS Act. Investigations found that the backdated prescription the actor had produced for the tablets was arranged illegally through a relative.

The NCB had recorded the actor's and his partner, Gabriella Demetriades' statement after the raid on November 11. Rampal had then produced the prescription, issued by a Delhi-based psychiatrist named Dr Rohit Garg.

"The matter is sub judice. I cannot reveal anything. But I have shared all the necessary details with the NCB and recorded my statement before the magistrate. It is my moral responsibility to cooperate with the agency," Garg told reporters in Delhi.

Garg, in his statement, has told the NCB that he was unaware of the probe. He was approached by a relative of Rampal's through a common friend. The relative said that she has anxiety and requested for a backdated prescription.

"During the probe, we have found a contravention of the NDPS Act in his previous statement and the prescription that he has submitted," a senior NCB officer said.

"As far as the prescription is concerned, it is established that he has committed an offence which can be investigated under Section 29 (punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy) of the NDPS Act," the officer added.

The NCB is also checking if there is forgery involved and is looking for relevant evidence. If evidence is found, the agency can approach Mumbai police or Delhi police to investigate the matter under the Indian Penal Code.