Actor Deepika Padukone has arrived for questioning by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) after she was issued a summons, along with Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan, in a widening drugs probe related to the Sushant Singh Rajput death investigation.
All three actors would be questioned today.
Sources have said the actors would be questioned separately at different locations. While Deepika Padukone is expected to be questioned at the Apollo Bunder guest house where the Special Investigation Team has set up base, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan would be questioned at the NCB's Ballard Estate office.
Ms Padukone's manager, Karishma Prakash, who was interrogated on Friday, is likely to be called again today. Ms Prakash's questioning went on for much longer than actor Rakul Preet Singh's, which lasted four hours, sources said.
The NCB questioned Rakul Preet Singh and Karishma Prakash about the contents of WhatsApp chat which allegedly indicated marijuana was bought for consumption.
The escalating probe into Bollywood's drugs links started with actor Rhea Chakraborty's interrogation, three months after Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai home on June 14.
During the probe, names of various stars have cropped up, including that of Jaya Saha, a former talent manager of Sushant Singh Rajput.
Sources in the Narcotics Control Bureau, whose mandate is to go after larger drug cartels and not individual consumers, have said the agency was questioning Bollywood A-listers to understand the network of supply through alleged consumers.
It must be noted that the actors have not been named as accused in any drugs probe case, and are only being questioned.
During her interrogation before arrest, Rhea Chakraborty reportedly named stars including Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh in connection with drugs use. Her lawyer has denied this claim.
Sara Ali Khan was also Sushant Singh Rajput's co-star in the film "Kedarnath"; Sushant Rajput developed the drugs habit while shooting the film, according to Rhea Chakraborty's bail petition before the Bombay High Court.
Sushant Singh's family through their Advocate Vikas Singh had aired their displeasure over the direction of the probe calling "the NCB probe too going in the same direction like Mumbai Police probe... calling big names for questioning just to get attention".
