Since the murder of actor Sushant Singh Rajput last year, NCB has investigated the link between Bollywood and narcotics, exposing the dark underbelly of tinsel town. After the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) detained three people in connection with a drug bust on a cruise ship off the coast of Mumbai late Saturday, the debate over drug usage in the entertainment industry has resurfaced.
Soon afterwards actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan’s came in as one of the people who had been taken into police custody. He is to be kept in judicial custody for another couple of days before another bail hearing would happen at the court.
Since the murder of actor Sushant Singh Rajput a year and a half ago, NCB has actively investigated the link between Bollywood and narcotics, exposing the dark underbelly of tinsel town. However, the link between the entertainment industry and substance misuse is not new.
Actor Sanjay Dutt was one of the first actors in India to be charged for narcotics possession. Prior to the 1993 bombing case, Dutt was imprisoned for five months in 1982 after being found in possession of illicit drugs. It was even shown in his biopic, ‘Sanju’.
In the recent past, several celebrities have been arrested in drug-related incidents.
On September 25, NCB officers from Mumbai and Goa arrested Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal's partner Gabriella Demetriades' brother from Goa in connection with a narcotics case in a combined operation. In addition, the agency took charas (hashish/cannabis) from him. He was also detained in the actor Sushant Singh Rajput narcotics case last October.
Here are some of the people who had been brought into custody by the police:
Rhea Chakraborty
The actress-VJ and close friend of Rajput was arrested in September 2020, along with her brother Showik Chakraborty, on charges of arranging narcotics for the late actor. They were later released on bail.
Preetika Chauhan
The television star was arrested in October 2020 on suspicion of ganja possession (cannabis). She was granted bail and freed.
Bharti Singh
The comedian and her spouse, Haarsh Limbachiyaa, were detained by NCB in November 2020. The authorities discovered ganja at their home and business. They were later released on bail.
Shabana Saeed
Firoz Nadiadwala's wife was detained in November 2020 after the NCB raided the Nadiadwala residence and discovered 10 grammes of marijuana. A Mumbai court granted her bail.
Kapil Jhaveri
In August 2020, the actor was detained in Goa when the crime department stormed a rave party where narcotics were reportedly being misused. He was the primary accused since he was the one who organised the party. He was later released on bond.
Armaan Kohli
The actor was detained in a narcotics possession case in August 2021. The NCB detained him after discovering 1.2 gramme of cocaine in his home. His bail application was denied.
Fardeen Khan
On May 5, 2001, the actor was detained in Mumbai by the NCB for reportedly attempting to purchase cocaine. In 2012, a special court awarded him immunity from prosecution in the case.
In recent months, the NCB has also questioned a number of celebrities, including Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, and Rakul Preet Singh, about narcotics.
