In a major development, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested popular comedian Bharti Singh and her husband-comedian Harsh Limbachiya for alleged possession and consumption of banned drugs, after her home and office were raided in Mumbai.
Around 86.50 gms of banned drug (marijuana), which is said to be of commercial quantity, was recovered from their home and office during the raids and the duo has reportedly confessed to consuming drugs.
The NCB zeroed in on the comedian-couple after a couple of drug peddlers were arrested in an ongoing action early this morning who revealed the names of Bharti and Harsh.
The NCB raided a location in Khar-Danda, a coastal area in Khar suburb, and nabbed a 21-year drug trafficker from whom commercial quantities of drugs like 15 blots of LSD, 40 gms Ganja and a psychotropic drug, Nitrazepam were seized, said Wankhede.
Armed with this information, the NCB busted other locations, including the home and offices of the Bharti-Harsh couple in suburban Andheri west’s fashionable Lokhandwala Complex and Versova, from where 86.50 gms of the banned Marijuana was seized.
Thereafter, both actors were detained for a short while and formally summoned for further investigations to the NCB office where they reached in separate vehicles.
On reaching the NCB offices, an apparently unruffled Bharti Singh briefly told media persons that they had been “called for some questioning”.
However, after a sustained interrogation round of nearly five hours, late this evening, Bharti was placed under arrest.
Both Bharti and Harsh are well-known comedians, television personalities producing or hosting programmes, besides appearing in reality shows like ‘Khatron Ka Khiladi’, ‘Kapil Sharma Show’, and other tele-serials.
The latest action is part of the ongoing investigations into Bollywood-drugs mafia nexus which the NCB is trying to unravel since the past three months or so.
From September till date, the NCB has arrested over two dozen persons including Bollywood actress Rhea Chakbraborty, now on bail, her brother Showik, still in jail, and other film industry related persons, drug financers, suppliers or peddlers, including some foreigners.
