Highlights:
- The Narcotics Control Bureau conducted a search on Ananya Panday’s Mumbai house.
- Ananya Panday, 22, made her film debut in 2019.
- She has been summoned to the NCB’s Mumbai office for interrogation.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has searched Ananya Panday’s Mumbai residence, and she has been summoned for questioning by the anti-drugs agency at 2 p.m.
The actor’s name was apparently found in the WhatsApp chats of one of the accused in the drugs-on-cruise case, in which Aryan Khan was arrested among 19 others earlier this month.
Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan Visits Son Aryan In Mumbai’s Jail For The First Time After His Arrest In Drug Case
Ananya Panday, 22, made her movie debut in 2019 and has since established herself in the top league with many high-profile projects. Her parents are actor Chunky Panday and Bhavana Pandey.
Ananya Panday and Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’s 23-year-old son, are part of a group of celebrity children who have been seen socialising together. They have a group of friends in common, and Ananya and Aryan’s sister Suhana are best friends.
The NCB’s raid indicates that the anti-drug agency is going after the A-list in its probe into an alleged “Bollywood-drugs nexus.” Several high-profile actors have been questioned in connection with a narcotics angle that surfaced in the Sushant Singh Rajput death probe since last year.
Aryan Khan has been arrested since October 8 and was denied bail yesterday by a court, which stated that his WhatsApp chat indicated his involvement in “illicit drug activity.”
Despite Aryan Khan’s lawyers’ claims that nothing was found on him, the court stated that six grams of charas were hidden in his friend Arbaaz Merchant’s shoe, and it appeared that Aryan Khan was aware of it, thus “it may be claimed that it was in conscious possession of both the accused.”
“WhatsApp chats prima facie indicate accused Aryan Khan is engaging in illegal drug activities for narcotic drugs on a regular basis,” the special court stated.
The conversations also indicated a “nexus of the Accused No. 1 (Aryan Khan) with suppliers and peddlers.”
“Evidence on record shows the accused are part of a larger network. Since accused are part of the conspiracy, each of them is liable for the entire quantity of drugs seized. And that the case of each accused can’t be segregated from each other and can’t be considered in isolation”.
