Stars hit back as drugs inquiry rocks Bollywood

ONE of India’s biggest film stars has broken the silence about Bollywood’s drug issues, as police continue a major narcotics investigation which has exposed the industry’s seedy underbelly.

Akshay Kumar, a Bollywood actor and martial artist, made the remarks online following the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, another high-profile figure in Indian showbusiness.

Rajput’s body was found in June in his apartment in Mumbai, and Indian police have said he took his own life.

The investigation into the 34-yearold’s death expanded into a major drugs probe, with his former girlfriend, actress Rhea Chakraborty, arrested earlier this month for allegedly buying cannabis for him, which she denies.

Chakraborty was interrogated for several weeks after being arrested, but has been cleared of murder allegations after evidence showed her partner had suffered mental health problems.

In a video posted on his Twitter account on Saturday, Kumar called on fans not to tar everyone in Bollywood with the same brush.

“With a hand on my heart, how can I lie and say that this [narcotics and drugs] problem doesn’t exist in our industry?”

Kumar, 53, said in Hindi in the clip. “It exists in our profession the same way problems exist in every other profession. But to say that everyone in every profession is involved in all its problems would be wrong.”

Indian media has also joined calls for a wider investigation into the multibillion- dollar film industry’s so- called “drugs mafia”.

Several high-profile actresses including 34-year-old Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh have been taken in for questioning. All deny any wrongdoing

Interest i n the Bollywood case peaked last month after the TV channel Timesnow broadcast sections of Whatsapp conversation about procuring hash, alleging that the two people chatting were Padukone and her manager.

Rajput’s family, meanwhile, has disputed reports the actor suffered from depression and have accused Chakraborty of stealing his money and harassing him. They also claim that she controlled his movements and his finances by the use of witchcraft.

Chakraborty ’s l awyer, Satish Maneshinde, has said the actress was the victim of a literal “witch hunt”.

Her supporters say the case has also exposed a misogynistic streak in Indian society as many assumed that it was she who was responsible for Rajput’s death, rather than mental health issues.

Chakraborty, 28, who has been hounded for months by the media along with her family, has denied any wrongdoing.

“She was accused of everything from murder to stealing huge amounts of money,” Karuna Nundy, a Delhi-based human rights lawyer, told Deutsche Welle last month.

“Now she has been accused of being part of a drug syndicate because she allegedly bought some marijuana at some point.”