Actor Arjun Rampal at NCB office for questioning; friend held

Rampal was initially summoned by the central agency on Wednesday

Bollywood actor-model Arjun Rampal was on Friday questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in relation to a drug case with the agency also arresting one of his friends.

Rampal, who was initially summoned by the central agency on Wednesday, arrived at the NCB's zonal office in Ballard Estate, South Mumbai, around 11.00 am.

The 47-year-old actor, whose home was raided last Monday, said that he is co-operating with the agency.

“I am fully cooperating with the investigation. I have nothing to do with drugs. The medicine found at my residence was prescribed. The prescription has been found and handed over," Rampal was quoted saying as he left the NCB’s Mumbai zonal office.

The NCB is expected to grill Rampal in the coming days.

On Thursday night, Rampal’s Australian friend Paul Bartel was arrested in a drug-related case.

Over the last two days, Rampal’s live-in partner Gabriella Demetriades was questioned by the federal anti-drug agency.

The apex drug law enforcement agency, which is probing the case for the last few months, had questioned her for almost six hours each on Wednesday and Thursday.

Last month, her brother and Rampal’s friend Agisilaos Demetriades was arrested by the NCB.

Both Demetriades and Bartel are known to several Bollywood personalities.

Also read: Drugs case: Arjun Rampal's partner grilled by NCB for second day

The NCB summoned Rampal and Demetriades after conducting a search at the actor's residence in suburban Bandra on Monday.

Rampal who has featured in several films including Rock On!! (2008), Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001), Om Shanti Om (2007), Raajneeti (2010) and Housefull (2010), is considered an A-lister in Bollywood.

The probe agency had seized electronic gadgets like laptops, mobile phones and tablets during the search and also questioned Rampal's driver.

A day before the search at Rampal's house, the NCB had arrested Bollywood producer Firoz Nadiadwala's wife after ganja was allegedly found at their residence in suburban Juhu.

She was later granted bail by a city court.

The NCB launched the probe into alleged drug use in Bollywood after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June.

The central agency arrested Rajput's girlfriend, actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and a few others under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Rampal is yet another top actor to be grilled by the NCB – the others being Deepika Padukone, Rakul Preet Singh, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan.

Rhea and some other accused are currently out on bail.

(With inputs from PTI)