The arrest of Siddhanth Kapoor in an alleged drug abuse case puts the spotlight once again on celebs and drug connection

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Just as Bollywood breathed a sigh of relief after Aryan Khan, son of Shah Rukh Khan, was given the clean chit by the NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau), yet another arrest of a star kid, this time Shakti Kapoor’s son Siddhanth Kapoor, on Sunday night, re-ignited the debate of celebs and drug connection.

We look at other celebrities who were allegedly charged in the past for violating the law relating to ‘possession, consumption and sale of illegal substances’.

The summoning

The marijuana’s ‘puff puff pass’ leading to handcuffs has become a common affair ever since Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide case got entangled with the drug abuse angle. While Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty were arrested for alleged drug consumption and possession (later got bail), the probe brought many big names from the industry under the scanner of the NCB. After Rhea’s arrest and subsequent questioning, the responses led them to summon her close friends, Rakul Preet Singh, Arjun Rampal and fashion designer Simone Khambatta. The NCB, keen on uncovering the Bollywood and drugs connection, went through innumerable whatsapp chats which reportedly led it to Deepika Padukone and her manager Karishma Prakash, Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor.

As June 14, which marks the death anniversary of the late actor, rips off the band-aid yet again, the celeb hunt comes full circle with the arrest of Siddhanth, Shraddha’s brother and Shakti Kapoor’s son.

Tested positive

Arrested from a rave party in a Bengaluru hotel, Siddhanth Kapoor was in the city as a professional disc jockey for an event. The police acted on a tip-off and raided the party. Siddhanth is allegedly one of the six persons who tested positive for drug usage out of the 35 guests suspected.

Old ways die hard

Bollywood’s khalnayak Sanjay Dutt has a history of jail time. The first actor to be held with drugs, Dutt allegedly spent five months in jail in late 1982 when he was caught with illegal drugs.

Fathers’ reactions

On May 5, 2001, Fardeen Khan was reportedly caught by the NCB for buying cocaine from a peddler. The charges were dropped 11 years later after he underwent a de-addiction programme. But the most interesting news on the case came from the Fardeen’s advocate Ayaz Khan in 2021. He shared how late actor Feroz Khan, his father, never wanted to build a false defence to bail Fardeen out of the mess. Similarly, martial artiste and actor Jackie Chan, who was then the Narcotics Control Ambassador for the Chinese police, when woke up to the news of his son’s Jaycee Chan’s arrest for alleged substance abuse, instead of defending his son, he chose to apologise to the whole world.

The house raids

Celebs like Bharti Singh and husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa were reportedly arrested after a house search yielded allegedly 86 gm of cannabis. They later got a bail on a bond of Rs 15,000 each. Another house raid led Big Boss fame Armaan Kohli’s arrest on August 8 for alleged possession of 1.2 gm of cocaine. The NDPS court has rejected his bail plea multiple times after observing the actor’s connection with the co-accused, a drug trafficker.

Hollywood history

John Lennon: In a 1968 raid The Beatles member was charged for half a gram of morphine and 200 gm of hashish. He pleaded guilty to prevent deportation of his Japanese girlfriend and future wife Yoko Ono.

Lindsay Lohan: Spent jail time for possession of drugs and driving under influence.

Robert Downey Jr: With repeated arrests for possession of marijuana, cocaine and heroin between 1996 to 2001, he has served many years in probation, six months in LA county jail, a year in state prison, California

Charlie Sheen: Arrested for marijuana possession on his mom’s birthday when he was 16.

Snoop Dogg: Arrested for the possession of cocaine shortly after his graduation. He became a regular offender.