Shakti Kapoor’s son Siddhanth Kapoor held on drug charges after Bengaluru hotel raid released on bail

Bengaluru, Jun 14: Five people, including Bollywood actor Siddhanth Kapoor were arrested on Monday for allegedly taking drugs during a rave party in a city hotel, police said on Monday.

"As part of our ongoing drive against (narcotics) drugs, based on credible information, police have raided a party organised at The Park Hotel in the city. There were more than 100 people at the party. When we subjected 35 persons to a drug test, five people tested positive. We have taken them into custody," the Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Bheemashankar S Guled told reporters.

Siddhant Kapoor was tested positive for taking drugs in the blood test report. Hence, he has been brought to Ulsoor police station," the Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Bheemashankar S Guled told reporters.

Guled said most of the people attending the party were not from the state. "All the five people, who have tested positive, are not from Karnataka. However, three of them were living in the state for some time. The fourth person was from Punjab and the fifth person is from Mumbai and a DJ (Disc Jockey)," the police officer said.

The other arrested persons in the case have been identified as son of Bollywood son of Bollywood Actor Shakti Kapoor - Siddhanth Kapoor (38) who was a DJ at the party, Akhil Soni (28), a business manager from a reputed IT firm (Mindtree), Harjot Singh (28) an operational head of a logistics startup, Hani Rafiq (25) heading a digital marketing firm, and Akhil (23), a freelance photographer.

Police did not further details of the five accused, who were released later in the day with a notice to appear before investigators when needed.

The officer said the party, where the drugs were being consumed, was opened to the public and the organisers had outsourced its arrangements.

It is unclear whether the accused have come to the party after consuming drugs elsewhere. But the police who searched the hotel after the arrests found 7 MDMA tablets, 5-10 gm of ganja in a dustbin at the hotel.

Subramanyeswara Rao, additional commissioner of police, Bengaluru (east), who supervising officer for the division, said all five persons have been booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 that deals with consumption of narcotics.

"We have arrested them and as it is the practice. They are released on bail with a notice to appear before the investigators when required. As we have said earlier, our focus is on the suppliers. We will question them (the five arrested) but as of now, as per procedure, they are released after issuing them a notice," said Rao.

According to police, the rave party was on at a posh hotel on the MG Road on Sunday night when a police team raided the place and arrested them.

Besides Kapoor, five more people have been arrested, sources in the police said.

The police had unearthed drug abuse in a section of Kannada film industry in 2020. They had then arrested actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani and former minister late Jeevaraj Alva's son Aditya Alva.