Source: New Indian Express (newindianexpress.com) | Original report dated October 3, 2020
Court Remands Kshitij Ravi Prasad to Judicial Custody
A special Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act court in Mumbai remanded Kshitij Ravi Prasad — a former executive producer at Dharmatic Entertainment — to judicial custody until October 6, 2020. Prasad had been arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) as part of its investigation into an alleged drug network linked to the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
Prasad was produced before the special NDPS court on Saturday following the expiry of his NCB custody period. Special public prosecutor Atul Sarpande confirmed the remand order.
NCB’s Allegations Against Prasad
The NCB told the court that Prasad had allegedly procured drugs from another accused individual named Karmjeet and his associates. The bureau had been questioning Prasad before formally placing him under arrest in connection with the broader Bollywood drugs probe.
Wider Context: Bollywood Drugs Investigation
The NCB’s investigation into an alleged drug network gained significant public attention following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Prior to Prasad’s remand, the agency had already arrested actor Rhea Chakraborty — who was Rajput’s girlfriend at the time of his death — along with her brother Showik Chakraborty and several other individuals in connection with the probe.
Separately, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was conducting its own investigation into the circumstances of Rajput’s death. Bihar Police had also booked the Chakrabortys under charges of abetment to suicide.
Defence Lawyer’s Claims
Prasad’s legal counsel, advocate Satish Maneshinde, alleged before the court that his client had been harassed and blackmailed by NCB officials into making a statement against filmmaker Karan Johar. The NCB did not publicly respond to these specific allegations at the time of the report.
This article is based on a news report originally published by New Indian Express in October 2020 and reflects the state of legal proceedings at that time.