Bollywood drugs probe: 2 NCB officials suspended

Mumbai, December 3

In a major embarrassment, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has suspended two officials from their Mumbai Zonal Unit for alleged suspicious role, which enabled two accused get relief in the ongoing Bollywood-drugs mafia investigations, official sources said here on Thursday.

The role of the two investigating officials — whose identities are not disclosed — came under a cloud after two accused Harsh Limbachiya and Karishma Prakash got bail and interim bail, respectively, in November, an official requesting anonymity told IANS.

Limbachiya is the husband of high-profile television personality Bharti Singh while Karishma Prakash is the manager of leading Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone.

Both — Limbachiya and Karishma Prakash — had their premises raided by NCB teams last month and certain quantities of drugs recovered in the actions.

While Bharti and Limbachiya were arrested and later got bail, Karishma Prakash had ignored NCB summons to join the probe and later secured an interim bail — and in both the developments, the alleged role of the two IOs is now under the scanner.

The NCB move follows the preliminary report of an internal probe ordered by the Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, and the suspensions precede a full departmental enquiry in which the possible involvement of some others, including lawyers, could also come up, indicated the official.  IANS