A day after Narcotics Control Bureau summoned two people associated with Karan Johar in the Bollywood drug case, the filmmaker on Friday distanced himself from Kshitij Prasad and Anubhav Chopra.
The names of Prasad and Chopra – the two ‘aides’ of Karan Johar has surfaced in the NCB’s ongoing drug case investigation.
In a statement issued soon after the arrest of Kshitij Prasad by the NCB in connection with the drug nexus, Karan Johar claimed the arrested person was only briefly employed by Dharma Productions in November 2019 and is not an employee of his production house.
“I would like to state that several media/news channels have been airing news reports that Kshitij Prasad and Anubhav Chopra are my aides/close aides. I would like to place on record that I do not know these individuals personally and neither of these two individuals are aides or close aides,” Karan Johar said.
— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) September 25, 2020
He went on to add that neither he nor Dharma Productions can be made responsible for what people do in their personal lives. These allegations do not pertain to Dharma Productions.
The Bollywood director also added that Kshitij Ravi Prasad had joined Dharmatic Entertainment, a company linked to Dharma Productions, in November 2019 as one of the executive producers on contract basis for a project which eventually did not materialise.
Prasad was detained by the NCB officials on Thursday after NCB officials had seized drugs from his residence including Marijuana. The NCB officials had raided his house in Versova in connection with the drug case. Reportedly, Prasad, who is the Executive Producer and Director at Dharma Productions, used to buy large amounts of drugs regularly.
Karan Johar said that Anubhav Chopra, the second person who was questioned by the NCB on Friday, was an associate with Dharma Production for two months as second assistant director for a film between November 2011 and January 2012. Karan Johar added that Chopra worked as an assistant director for a short film in January 2013.
Never consumed drugs, no narcotics was consumed at the party: Karan Johar
In his statement, Karan Johar also reiterated that he never consumed any kind of drugs and claimed that he has been subjected to ‘slanderous and malicious’ campaign by the media.
The statements by Karan Johar comes amidst the ongoing investigation into the drug case, especially after NCB had initiated a probe into a party hosted by Karan Johar at his residence back in 2019.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been investigating a video from a party hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar that went viral on social media. The video had featured Ranbir Kapoor, Ayan Mukherjee, Vicky Kaushal, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and others.
After the video had gone viral on social media, people on social media had alleged that the actors in the video were under the influence of drugs.
#UDTABollywood – Fiction Vs Reality
— #Istandwithfarmers Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) July 30, 2019
Watch how the high and mighty of Bollywood proudly flaunt their drugged state!!
I raise my voice against #DrugAbuse by these stars. RT if you too feel disgusted @shahidkapoor @deepikapadukone @arjunk26 @Varun_dvn @karanjohar @vickykaushal09 pic.twitter.com/aBiRxwgQx9
Responding to the allegations, filmmaker Karan Johar on Friday took to social media to deny that any narcotic substance was consumed during a party that he hosted in 2019.
“I would like to unequivocally once again state that I do not consume narcotics and I do not promote or encourage consumption of any such substance,” Karan Johar said while denying charges that drugs were consumed in that party.
He added, “These slanderous and malicious statements, news articles and news clippings have unnecessarily subjected me, my family, and my colleagues, and Dharma Productions, to hatred, contempt and ridicule”.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has unearthed a massive drug case in Bollywood. The names of many influential actors, producers, filmmakers have appeared in the drug link case leading a summons from the Narcotics Control Bureau.
The drug enforcement agency has also issued summons to actors, including Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor Rakul Preet Singh and others in connection with its probe.
