Rhea Chakraborty was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau on September 9. (File photo)
Actor Deepika Padukone's manager Karishma Prakash has been summoned for questioning by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) as the anti-drugs agency widens its probe into the alleged Bollywood-drug nexus in the Sushant Singh Rajput case.
Dhurv Chitgopekar, CEO of KWAN talent management where Ms Prakash works, has also been summoned to the NCB office today. While Karishma Prakash has sought time from the agency, Mr Chitgopekar has joined the probe, officials said.
Along with these two, Sushant Rajput's manager Shruti Modi and former talent manager Jaya Saha have also been summoned, officials added. Ms Saha was questioned for four hours on Monday.
These summons have been issued in connection with the first case the agency registered based on the retrieved WhatsApp messages from Rhea Chakraborty's mobile that allegedy revealed conversations on buying drugs for Mr Rajput, who she dated months before his death on June 14.
The NCB arrested actor Rhea Chakraborty on September 9 after three days of questioning in the drug abuse case. Besides Ms Chakroborty, 15 others including her brother have been arrested by the NCB which is investigating over drugs angle following Mr Rajput's death.
Today, the judicial custody of the 28-year-old actor was extended by 14 more days till October 6. She and her brother Showik Chakraborty have requested bail from the Bombay High Court. The matter will be heard by the court tomorrow.
Sources in the anti-drugs agency have told NDTV that Ms Chakraborty has named actors Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan during questioning in the drug case. The agency is likely to call these actors for questioning this week, they said.
"During the preliminary investigation in the first case registered based on the retrieved WhatsApp messages of Rhea Chakraborty, few other actors name have come up including Sara Ali Khan and Shradda Kapoor. Both will be asked to join the investigation this week, summons will be issued soon," an officer involved in the investigation told NDTV.
Ms Chakraborty, who is currently housed at the Byculla Jail in Mumbai, has denied the allegations levelled by the NCB that she is an active member of a "drug syndicate".