Photo source: @ananyapandayy|Twitter
By Venkatesh Raghavan
Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB’s) focus shifted towards the interrogation of actor Ananya Panday, daughter of actor Chunkey Panday, as she was summoned for the second consecutive day on Friday. Her interrogation lasted for three-and-a-half hours, commencing at 2.30 p.m.
The NCB sleuths jumped on to Ananya after finding WhatsApp chats in Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan’s mobile that pertained to communication between the two. The NCB has summoned Ananya to appear before it again on Monday, October 25. However, NCB sleuths did not cast light on in what way Ananya was connected with the drug angle. The sleuths had seized Ananya’s mobile and laptop from her residence early on Thursday.
NCB officer Ashok Mutha Jain said, Ananya will be further questioned on Monday without disclosing what stage the interrogation was leading to. Reports pouring in from a news agency stated that she was being questioned about her role in helping Aryan procure drugs by providing him the mobile numbers of suppliers, way back in 2018-19. As per reports in a section of media, the NCB revealed that Ananya denied the allegation of supplying drugs to Aryan Khan, who is an accused in the case, and said that she has never consumed the drugs – “The chats recovered from Aryan Khan’s mobile phone reveal that in the year 2018-19, she helped supply drugs to Aryan thrice by providing him the numbers of drug dealers.”
Other sources from the NCB however, said the chats between Aryan and Ananya did not make any mention of narcotic substances or drugs. The chat-trail is free of any discussion about drug use, they added. Ananya on her part has denied her role in helping Aryan procure drugs. She stated that she neither consumed nor supplied narcotic drugs to anyone.
Meanwhile, the Special NDPS court has remanded Aryan and those arrested with him to judicial custody till October 30. The Bombay High Court said it will be hearing the bail petition of Aryan and co-accused on October 26. The NCB will get to submit their plea on the accused’s bail petition on Monday.
NCB sources also revealed that in the span of the past two days, their team had conducted six more raids in connection with the drugs party that was busted on board the Cordelia cruise ship, on October 2, 2021.
– global bihari bureau
