Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been probing the drugs angle in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case since last week. The NCB has drawn links between his girlfriend and actor Rhea Chakraborty’s brother, Showik, and alleged drug dealer Zaid Vilatra. The drug dealer Zaid Vilatra has recently been arrested.
“Zaid Vilatra disclosed that he runs an eatery in Bandra, which was not giving any pecuniary gains since the lockdown. He also disclosed that he peddles drugs, especially bud (curated marijuana). He used to earn a substantial amount of money by selling cannabis,” the NCB source said Wednesday.
Sources stated that the, 20-year-old Vilatra allegedly supplied cannabis to Showik. Another of his clients was Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda. The drug dealer was introduced to both each by another middleman Abdel Basit Parihar, 23. Currently the NCB sleuths are interrogating Parihar here. He may be arrested any moment.
The NCB has found chats between Showik and Parihar that talked about use and purchase of cannabis. The NCB is now planning to summon both Showik and Miranda in a short while.
“Parihar was picked up based on information by Vilatra. Abbas Lakhani, who was arrested last week along with Karan Arora for allegedly trafficking drugs, led the probe team to Vilatra,” said an NCB official.
The NCB started looking into the drugs aspect of the case related to Rajput’s death after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) flagged chats between Rhea and Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya about banned narcotic substances, including cannabis.
Rhea however, has time and again stated that she is not into drugs. She has also said during interviews that she has tried to prevent Rajput from consuming marijuana.
Rajput was was found dead in his apartment June 14 in Bandra. Rhea, her family and others are being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the ED and the NCB over Rajput’s family’s allegations that she mentally harassed the actor and stole crores from his bank accounts. They have also alleged that she had abetted Rajput’s suicide.