NCB arrests Arjun Rampal's friend; actor arrives for interrogation

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested Paul Bartel, a friend of Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal, in a drug-related case here in Mumbai. Earlier on Thursday, the NCB had summoned Rampal to appear for questioning in connection with a drug-related case.

Before this, NCB officials had on November 9 conducted a raid at the residence of Arjun Rampal and seized some electronic gadgets. Notably, Rampal's girlfriend Gabriella Demetriades was later questioned for six hours on Wednesday.

Demetriades was again summoned by the NCB to appear before it for questioning as, according to NCB officials, the inquiry was not completed on Wednesday.

Further investigation in the drug-related cases is underway.

The summons to Rampal came in the wake of his South African model girlfriend Gabriella Demetriades' questioning for 12 hours on two consecutive days on Wednesday and Thursday as part of the NCB's ongoing investigation into the Bollywood-drugs mafia nexus which is under a scanner since the past three months.

Her brother, Agisialos Demetriades was arrested by the NCB on October 19 in a drug-related case. The development comes four days after Rampal's house was raided by the NCB sleuths.

The developments this week started with the Sunday raid at veteran Bollywood filmmaker Firoz Nadiadwala's home in Juhu and the arrest of his wife Shabana, who was granted bail on Monday.

The ongoing NCB action is the outcome of the probe into the celebrity drugs angle that has emerged prominently after the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput on June 14.

Besides, at least 20 people, including actress Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik, several narcotics suppliers and drug peddlers have been arrested while some Bollywood personalities have been questioned. Rhea, however, had obtained bail.