NCB arrests Sushant Singh Rajput's friend Siddharth Pithani in a drugs case

Around a year after Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead, his flatmate Siddharth Pithani has been arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drugs case.

Sushant (34), who had acted in films such as M S Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), Kedarnath (2018) and Chhichhore (2019), was found dead on June 14, 2020 at his rented duplex flat in Mount Blanc building at Bandra.

Pithani, a graphic art designer, is among the four persons who were in the flat when his body was found, three others being house help Dipesh Sawant, cook Keshav Bachner and help and cook Neeraj Singh. Pithani, nicknamed "Buddha" by Rajput, had been living with him for about a year before his death.

“We have arrested Siddharth Pithani. He was absconding and he had not responded to the summons and did not join investigations. He has been tracked to Hyderabad and arrested,” NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede said.

Pithani was brought from Hyderabad to Mumbai under transit remand.

In Mumbai, he was produced before Esplanade Magistrate’s Court, which remanded him to NCB custody till June 1.

After the death of the actor, Pithani statement was recorded by Mumbai Police and later by the CBI, which took over the case at the orders of the Supreme Court.

It may be recalled on March 4, the NCB filed its chargesheet in which Rajput’s live-in partner and actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, his friend and assistant director Rishikesh Pawar, house manager Samuel Miranda and house help Dipesh Sawant, were among the 33 persons named.

The NCB would file a supplementary chargesheet in the case.

According to Wankhede, Pithani was arrested under CR 16/20 and booked under section 8(c) r/w 20(b)(II)(a),27,28 and 29 r/w 27-A & 35 of NDPS Act, 1985.