The Narcotics Control Bureau has been quite active in arresting peddlers, and people associated with the drug nexus in Bollywood. Former Dharma Productions employee Kshitij Ravi Prasad told the magistrate that he was coerced and blackmailed by the cops to give a false statement against Karan Johar. He has been remanded till October 3, 2020 by the NCB. He told the media, “I am being framed.” His arrest took place on Saturday after the officials led by Sameer Wankhede raided his residence. As per the NCB, he has links with many drug peddlers and custody was required to further unravel the chain of supply in Bollywood. They said Prasad is close to Ankush Arneja who is a well-known peddler. He runs a restaurant in South Mumbai.
Advocate Satish Maneshinde who is representing Rhea Chakraborty and her brother, Showik told the media that he was forced to take names. He said, “Before the proceedings started, I informed the magistrate that Prasad was harassed and blackmailed for the statement. He was also given third-degree torture and treated badly. Considering the remand application and Prasad’s statement, it’s obvious that the NCB is hell-bent on falsely implicating Karan Johar and some top employees of Dharma Productions.”
Kshitij Ravi Prasad in his statement told the magistrate, “I was categorically told by zonal director of NCB, Sameer Wankhede in the presence of several other officers that since I was associated with Dharma Productions, they would let me off if I take the names of Karan Johar, Somel Mishra, Rakhi, Apoorva, Neeraj or Rahil and say that they consumed drugs. I refused to comply with this, as I don’t know any of them personally. Irked by my refusal, Wankhede told me that since I was not cooperating, he would teach me a lesson. He made me sit on the floor next to his chair and then held up his shoe to my face and said that this was my worth.”
Source: Bollywoodlife
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