The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) investigating the drug angle in Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, arrested one more resident of Bandra, Basit Parihar, based on Zaid Vilatra’s interrogation late Thursday night.
NCB sources said the two had revealed the names of Sushant Singh Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda and Rhea Chakraborty’s brother Showik. NCB officials conducted searches at their residences on Friday morning and both were summoned for inquiry at NCB office in South Mumbai.
A senior IPS officer from NCB confirmed the development and said, “Parihar was arrested late night and we will produce him before a magistrate court in the afternoon.” “Some evidence has been collected from the house of Miranda and Showik during the searches conducted. But the investigation is at a very preliminary stage and details of the evidence gathered from their residence cannot be revealed at the moment,” said the officer.
Zaid Vilatra was arrested on Thursday and he was produced in the court and remanded in police custody till September 9. Zaid and Basit were called from questioning on Wednesday for their alleged role in drug peddling.
NCB officials said that they have been questioning Vilatra and Parihar, and recovered Indian currency Rs 955,750, foreign currency US $ 2,081, 180 British Pounds and 15 Dirhams from Vilatra’s possession and during inquiry, he confessed that those were the proceeds of drug peddling, added NCB officials.
While NCB had registered a case in Rajput’s death, the current investigation is a result of a separate case the NCB had registered. NCB had registered a case based on a specific input and had arrested two persons, Abbas Lakhani and Karn Arora, and seized curated marijuana from their possession.
During their questioning, NCB found Abbas Lakhani’s links to Bandra resident Vilatra who told the officials that he runs an eatery in Bandra (West) which lost business during the lockdown so he began peddling drugs through which he earned a substantial amount of money.
Vilatra revealed that he was in touch with another Bandra resident, Basit Parihar. NCB questioned Parihar and found that he was in touch with Rhea Chakraborty’s brother Showik. Showik had allegedly used chats with Parihar regarding drug consumption and procurement
An analysis of Showik’s chats revealed that on March 17, 2020, he had shared Vilatra’s contact number with Samuel Miranda and asked to pay him Rs 10,000 for 5g. Thereafter, Samuel Miranda had contacted Vilatra for the first time on Showik’s behest, said NCB officials.
But before Samuel called, Parihar had called Vilatra. Samuel had called Vilatra three times, said NCB officials. During interrogation, Vilatra has disclosed that he was paid cash Rs 10,000 and handed over 5g to two persons. The location analysis reveals that on March 17, 2020, Vilatra and Samuel Miranda were at the same location, added NCB officials.
