The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have arrested comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa after it seized drugs from their house in Mumbai on Saturday. The central agency had searched the couple’s office and house and recovered 86.5 gram of cannabis from both the places, according to reports.
The agency, acting on a tip-off, had on Saturday conducted search at Singh’s office and residence as part of its probe into the alleged drug use in the entertainment industry. “Both Ms Bharti Singh and her husband Harsh Limbachiya accepted consumption of ganja,” an NCB release earlier said.
Here is what we know so far:
1. Singh, who has appeared in a number of comedy and reality shows on television and also hosted such shows, was arrested by NCB after the seizure of cannabis from her house in suburban Andheri on Saturday. The comedian was arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
2. Her husband was arrested on Sunday after more than 12 hours of questioning.
3. Singh and Limbachiyaa were taken to a hospital for medical examination on Sunday.
The couple along with two others arrested in the case would be produced before a court in Mumbai after their medical examination.
4. The quantity of drug allegedly seized from Singh’s possession is considered as “small quantity” under the act, as against “commercial quantity”, an NCB official said.
5. Up to 1,000 gm of ganja is considered small quantity, which attracts jail term up to six months and/or fine of Rs 10,000. Possession of commercial quantity -- 20 kg or more -- can attract up to 20 years in jail. For the quantity in between, the punishment can be as much as 10 years in jail.
6. “Singh’s name had cropped up during the interrogation of a drug peddler,” the official said.
7. NCB had earlier raided a place in Khar Danda area and nabbed a 21-year-old trafficker with various drugs including 15 blots of LSD (commercial quantity), ganja (40 grams), and Nitrazepam (psychotropic medicines).
8. NCB has been probing the alleged drug use in Bollywood after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June this year on the basis of WhatsApp chats.
9. The central agency earlier arrested Rajput’s girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, some employees of the late actor and a few others under various sections of the NDPS act. Rhea Chakraborty and some other accused are currently out on bail.
10. Actor Arjun Rampal’s house was also searched after which he and his girlfriend were summoned by NCB for questioning.
(With agency inputs)
