The Narcotics Control Bureau has issued a notice to film director Karan Johar over a video of a party that he had organised last year and where several Bollywood personalities were present, The Indian Express reported on Thursday.
Confirming the notice, an official said it was sent on Wednesday. “He need not be present physically but he has been asked to respond soon,” the officer said.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Manjinder Sirsa, who has lodged a complaint, has alleged that the celebrities at the party used drugs. Johar, however, refuted the allegations when social media had made similar allegations last year.
Several Bollywood actors, including Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Vicky Kaushal, Varun Dhawan, Shahid Kapoor and Malaika Arora and directors Ayan Mukherjee and Zoya Akhtar were seen in the video.
“The notice has been given with respect to the video which was under circulation,” a statement from the central agency read. “NCB had received a complaint from Manjinder Sirsa in this regard and was marked to MZU (Mumbai Zonal Unit). To check the veracity of the video, the notice has been sent.”
The NCB has questioned various Bollywood personalities following its inquiry into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. On November 21, the NCB had arrested comedian Bharti Singh. Her husband was taken into custody the next day. There were later released on bail.
The agency had on November 8 arrested Shabana Saeed, the wife of Bollywood producer Firoz Nadiadwala, after investigators seized 10 grams of marijuana during a raid at her Juhu residence in Mumbai. She was sent to judicial custody but was granted bail the next day. On October 26, the agency had arrested five people in Mumbai, including television actor Preetika Chauhan.
The anti-drug agency claims to have unearthed a close nexus between illegal drug consumption and the film industry. On September 8, the NCB had arrested Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty in a drug case related to Rajput’s death, and also questioned Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan in the same matter.
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