Bollywood director and producer Karan Johar in his response to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has denied of any use of drugs at his party in 2019, officials said on Friday.
Senior NCB officials, wishing not to be named, said that Johar in his reply through his advocate denied of usage of any kind of drugs at the party hosted by him.
The NCB had issued a notice to Johar on Thursday asking him to share the details of the party on the complaint of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa. However, the official said that they were studying the response of Johar to the drug law enforcement agency.
On Thursday, the NCB issued notice to the filmmaker to check the veracity of the video under section 67(B) of the NDPS Act. 67(B) doesn't require physical appearance but one has to co-operate with the investigating agency. The person against whom it is issued is not questioned during the probe.
Earlier, Sirsa had approached the NCB in September this year over the alleged drug party hosted at Johar's residence in 2019 where several top actors were in attendance including Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Varun Dhawan, Ranbir Kapoor, Malaika Arora, among others.
The NCB in the last few months has questioned several film personalities in connection with separate drug cases related to Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death and other cases.
Meanwhile, actor Arjun Rampal, who was summoned by the Narcotics Control Bureau for an appearance on Wednesday, has sought a week's time before he appears before the agency in Mumbai, as per a report in IANS.
The 47-year-old actor said he is currently busy with personal matters while seeking a week's time.
The NCB had summoned the Bollywood actor for a second round of questioning in connection with a drug-related case. The fresh date for his appearance is yet to be announced.
The development comes exactly a month after the Narcotics Control Bureau had grilled Rampal for nearly seven hours on November 13. The actor was quizzed by the agency after his Australian friend Paul Bartel was arrested in a drug-related case.
Bartel was reportedly in regular contact with Agisialos Demetriades, an alleged drug peddler arrested by the NCB in October, and the brother of Gabriella Demetriades, Rampal's live-in partner.
(With inputs from IANS)
