NCB summons Ananya Panday for the third time in Aryan Khan's drug case

Bollywood actress Ananya Panday will have to appear before the Narcotics Control Bureau for the third time on 25th October. 

On Friday, the actress was grilled by the anti-drugs agency for around four hours in connection with the Mumbai cruise ship drugs case. 

While her father, actor Chunky Panday, waited for her, Ananya was reportedly questioned by NCB zonal chief Sameer Wankhede.

There are WhatsApp chats between actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan and actor Ananya Panday discussing procurement and consumption of drugs, which is being investigated as part of the probe into the seizure of drugs on the cruise liner, NCB sources told TOI on Friday.

Panday was questioned by NCB a second time on Friday and will be summoned again if required, an official said.

She has denied all allegations of supplying drugs to Aryan, sources said. 

Aryan and Ananya are close family friends and have known each other from childhood.

Sources said there are a few more names of celebrities and their children in the WhatsApp chats, and they are likely to be called next week. 

Aryan’s bail application is likely to come up before the Bombay high court on October 26.

According to an ANI report, Ashok Mutha Jain, NCB deputy director General (DDG) said, 

“Panday has been called again on Monday morning for questioning. The further procedure will take place.” 

When NCB DDG was asked if the actor gave any information regarding the numbers of drug peddlers sent by Aryan Khan, he said, “I have no such info as of now.”

On Thursday, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) visited Chunky Panday’s house. 

Three NCB officials, including a female officer, served a summons to Ananya Panday. 

The actress was asked to appear before the NCB at their office on the same day at 2 pm for further questioning. Meanwhile, another NCB team visited Shah Rukh Khan’s Mumbai residence, Mannat. 

The search operation followed right after the central agency submitted chat messages of Aryan Khan with an "upcoming Bollywood actress" to a Mumbai court, and claimed that both were discussing drugs.