Bollywood drug-cartel nexus: 2 NCB officials suspended

In a big jolt to the investigations into the Bollywood-drug cartel nexus, two officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been suspended for lapses that enabled a couple of accused and a suspect to secure bail.

The NCB top brass was rattled when TV celebrity couple Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa secured bail easily from the Magistrate's court in Mumbai even though they had during their interrogation admitted consuming and possessing ganja. Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone's manager Karisma Prakash, who was interrogated by the NCB several times and later refused to respond to summons, had also managed to secure an anticipatory bail.

The residences of Bharti-Haarsh and Karishma were raided by the NCB.

NCB's Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede had ordered a departmental inquiry.

Also read — Sushant Singh Rajput's death case: Rhea Chakraborty's brother granted bail

On October 27, the NCB had recovered 1.7 grams of marijuana and some bottles of CBD oil from Karishma's residence. The custodial interrogation of Karishma would have been very important as she knows several Bollywood A-listers.

When the flat of Bharti-Haarsh was raided on November 21, the NCB had seized 86.50 gm of ganja. They could secure bail as the officers were not present in court when the bail application was taken up. Meanwhile, the NCB has moved the Sessions Court in Mumbai, seeking cancellation of the celebrity couple's bail.

Among the celebrities questioned earlier include Arjun Rampal, Rakul Preet Singh, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan.

The NCB is carrying out two investigations – one into the drug angle vis-à-vis Sushant Singh Rajput's death case and the other the larger Bollywood drug-cartel nexus.

Nearly 25 persons, including Sushant’s live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik, were arrested. Subsequently, Rhea and Showik were granted conditional bail by the Bombay High Court.