Showik To Be Confronted With Sister Rhea: NCB
MUMBAI: Actress Rhea Chakraborty’s brother Showik , arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau probing the drug angle in actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case, had “dealt in drugs with many others” and had links with accused Abdel Basit Parihar, the agency told a court here.
The court on Saturday remanded Showik and late Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda in custody of the NCB till September 9. The agency told the court that Showik needs to be confronted with Rajput’s personal staff, Dipesh Sawant, and Rhea Chakraborty-the main accused in the actor’s death case.
Showik and Miranda were arrested on Friday night under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after questioning of 10 hours.
In its remand application the NCB said Mr Chakraborty, who has “given so many names with whom he was dealing in drugs”, will now be confronted with his sister Rhea, as the agency continues investigations into allegations of drug abuse surrounding the death of Mr Rajput in June.
The NCB told the court that there were other instances wherein Parihar, who was earlier arrested by the NCB for facilitating to arrange drugs, was in contact with Showik and Miranda.
“There are specific roles/ingredients of criminal conspiracy, abetments and various attempts to commit offences,” the NCB told a Mumbai court Saturday afternoon said, adding “the financial trail of all previous transactions of drug purchase has to be verified”.
Ms Chakraborty, who has been accused of involvement in the death of Mr Rajput, is likely to be summoned for questioning by the NCB tomorrow. According to the NCB, one Abdul Basit Parihar “facilitated (sale of) drugs (marijuana/ganja) and was in contact with Samuel Miranda and Showik Chakraborty”.
“He used to pay and receive money via credit cards/cash and payment gateways,” the NCB told the court, adding he was an “active member of (the) drug syndicate connected with high profile personalities and drug suppliers”.Earlier NCB sources said Mr Miranda paid for the drugs using Google Pay.
Overall, the sale of drugs was enabled by Parihar via two other alleged drug pedllers – Kaizan Ibrahim and Zaid Vilatra – the NCB said today, adding that all three were currently in its custody. Ibrahim was sent to 14-day custody today and also received bail.
Early Friday, a joint team of NCB officials and police raided the homes of Showik Chakraborty, who lives with his sister, and Samuel Miranda. KPS Malhotra, NCB Deputy Director (Operations), who is heading this investigation, told journalists the raid was “procedural”. Another official said the agency was looking to gather additional evidence.
The case is being probed by three central agencies – the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the NCB and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is looking into money laundering charges.
The NCB has said it is looking into “the drug citadel in Mumbai, and especially Bollywood” in this case. According to officials, mobile phone chats and messages indicated procurement, transportation and consumption of drugs and these leads were shared by the ED with the NCB and the CBI.
(Mumbai Bureau with Agency Inputs).
