Drugs case: NCB refutes claims of Kshitij Ravi Prasad, says former Dharma Productions' employee not 'humiliated' or 'tortured'

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Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Monday refuted the claims made by some that Kshitij Prasad, a former executive producer associated with Dharma Productions, was humiliated and tormented by the agency sleuths, and termed the claims as "mischievous" and "completely untrue".

In a statement, the NCB said that a news item has been purportedly released by Satish Maneshinde, the advocate for Kshitij, who was arrested by the Mumbai zonal unit of NCB on Saturday.

It said the news item alleged that Kshitij was humiliated and tormented by the officers of the Mumbai zonal unit of the NCB.

"It is very unambiguously stated here that the above news item in circulation is mischievous and completely untrue. NCB arrested Kshitij as some incriminating evidence were recovered from him," the agency said.

The NCB statement came after Kshitij`s lawyer Satish Maneshinde alleged that his client was pressurised to name Karan Johar during the interrogation.

The statement said that after the involvement of Kshitij in offences under the NDPS Act was revealed, he was placed under arrest after following the due process of law.

"His lawyer and his family (mother) were informed as per the procedure. He was also allowed to meet his father-in-law and his wife at the NCB office," it said.

The NCB also said that as Kshitij was not cooperating with the investigation, it was brought to the notice of the court with a request to grant NCB his custody on Sunday when he was produced for remand after a medical check-up.

Kshitij has been sent to NCB custody till October 3. The agency further said that the court has observed in its order that no physical "ill-treatment" has been handed out to accused.

The NCB has registered a case on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after it found some alleged chats of late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda discussing drugs.

Rhea, Showik, Miranda, Sushant's personal staff Dipesh Sawant, and 16 other people have been arrested by the NCB in connection with the case.

The NCB has also recorded the statement of Bollywood divas Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh, fashion designer Simone Khambatta, Deepika`s former manager Karishma Prakash and several others in connection with the case.

Sushant was found dead on June 14 at his Bandra flat. Besides the NCB, the CBI and the ED are also probing the death of the actor.