Cannabis found at home, comedian Bharti arrested

Mumbai, November 21

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday arrested comedian Bharti Singh following seizure of ganja (cannabis) from her house in suburban Andheri, an official said.

The NCB searched Bharti’s house and office in the morning as part of its probe into alleged drug use in the Bollywood industry.

A team led by Sameer Wankhede, the central agency’s zonal director, carried out a search at Singh’s residence at Lokhandwala complex as well as her production house based on a tip-off, a release said.

It recovered 86.5 grams of ganja during the search, the release added.

“Both Bharti and her husband Harsh Limbachiya accepted consumption of ganja. Bharti was placed under arrest under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and examination of Limbachiya is underway,” the NCB release added.

The quantity allegedly seized from Bharti’s possession is considered as “small quantity” under the act, as against “commercial quantity”, an NCB official said.

Up to 1,000 grams 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.

“Bharti’s name had cropped up during the interrogation of a drug peddler,” he added.

The agency also carried out searches at two other locations in the metropolis, the official said. — PTI