Bollywood / Johar issues statement amid NCB probe, says no drugs consumed at his party

Mumbai: After being in the news amid NCB's ongoing drug probe, Karan Johar on Friday issued a statement on his social media addressing the matter. The Producer-Director has been making headlines over the employees from Dharma Production being summoned by the NCB. 

Karan Johar in his statement also addressed the 2019 party video that SAD leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa has filed a complaint on and is under scrutiny. 

Karan started by saying that when the first time the allegation was made, he had made it clear that no drugs had been used. He also took an aim at some media outlets who are running news stories around the video. He wrote: “Certain news channels, print/electronic media and social media platform (s) are wrongly and misleading reporting that narcotics were consumed at a party that I, Karan Johar hosted on July 28, 2019 at my residence. I had already clarified my position way back in 2019 that the allegations were false.”

“In view of the current malicious campaign, I am reiterating that the allegations are completely baseless and false, No narcotics substance was consumed in the party.

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.”

“All 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.”

I would like to further state that Kshitij Prasad and Anubhav Chopra — I do not know these individuals personally and neither of these two individuals are 'aides' or 'close aides'. Neither I, nor Dharma Productions can be made responsible for what people do in their personal lives. These allegations do not pertain to Dharma Productions.

I wish to further state that Anubhav Chopra is not an employee at Dharma Productions. He was briefly associated with us for only two months in the capacity of 2nd assistant director for a film, between November 2011 and January 2012 and as assistant director for the short film in January 2013. He has thereafter never been associated with Dharma.

Mr. Kshitij Ravi Prasad joined Dharmatic in November 2019 as one of the executive producers on contract basis for a project which eventually did not materialise.

However, in the past few days, the media has resorted to distasteful and false allegations. I hope the members of the media would exercise restraint else I will be left with no option but to legally protect my rights against this baseless attack on me." Karan Johar said.Dharma's employee Kshitij Ravi Prasad was picked up from his Versova residence on Friday after the agency conducted raids there. Marijuana and small amounts of weed have also been seized from Kshitij’s place during searches. He was seen being escorted by NCB officials from his residence and is currently on the way to NCB's Ballad Pier Office. 

The NCB officials have also revealed that so far Kshitij Ravi Prasad has not been detained or arrested. Since Kshitij Prasad was summoned for today, he accompanied the NCB to their office after the raids. However, they also confirmed that the Dharma Productions Executive Producer will be taken into custody after his interrogation. 

News of Anubhav Chopra’s questioning came after the NCB carried out searches at Kshitij Ravi Prasad’s Versova residence. Small amounts of Marijuana was seized from the residence, as the aide was taken to the NCB’s Ballad Pier Office.