Bollywood drugs nexus: NCB denies illegally detaining of Sushant Singh Rajput's domestic staff

Mumbai, Nov 23: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Monday denied before the Bombay High Court that Dipesh Sawant, late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's domestic staff, had been illegally detained in a drugs case that it is probing.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared for the NCB, told a bench of Justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik that Sawant had been arrested on September 5 following due procedure and that there was nothing illegal about his arrest.

ASG Singh was responding to a petition filed by Sawant in October this year claiming he had been arrested illegally by the NCB, and had sought a compensation of Rs 10 lakh. On Monday, Sawant's counsel, Amir Koradia, told the bench that contrary to NCB's claim, Sawant was arrested from his office in the city on September 4.

"I should have, therefore, been produced before the magistrate on September 5 but this was done only on September 6," he said. ASG Singh, however, told the court that the above was not true. "The NCB has an arrest memo signed by him (Sawant) that says he was arrested and brought to the NCB office on September 5. His brother Vivek also accompanied him to the NCB office," Singh said.

"He (Sawant) was allowed to make a phone call to his family after his arrest, and the next morning, he was provided breakfast. How can his arrest be a case of illegal detention then?" Singh said.

He also said Sawant was arrested along with several others in a case that involved an active drug syndicate and, therefore, there was no question of quashing his remand.

The bench, however, said that unless an "independent" body or officer conducted an inquiry into the allegations made by Sawant, it would be unable to adjudicate upon the prayers made in the plea.

The NCB, however, said Sawant's allegation were untrue and, therefore, there was no need for any inquiry. The court adjourned the matter for further hearing on December 4.