24 December,2020 10:09 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan Khan
Arjun Rampal at the NCB`s office in November
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), probing actor Arjun Rampal, in connection with banned tablets found at his residence, may have conducted the raid after mistaking him for someone else. Sources have told mid-day that the drug agency found Rampal's partner's brother, Agisilaos Demetriades, talking to someone named 'Arjun' on WhatsApp and assuming it's the actor, raided Rampal's Bandra house.
Gabriella Demetriades at the NCB's office in November. File pics
Rampal also told the agency that one of the tablets is for his dog, prescribed by a vet, and the second is used as an SOS for anxiety by his sister, as prescribed by a Delhi-based psychiatrist.
During his questioning, Rampal also told the NCB that the person 'Arjun' found in Demetriades' WhatsApp chats is not him. mid-day has learnt that the November 9 raid at his residence was a result of this discovery.
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Media persons seen outside the residence of Arjun Rampal on the day the raid was conducted
During the raid, the NCB had seized two different tablets - one was Ultracet (a prescription medicine used to treat moderate to severe pain, contains tramadol and acetaminophen). One strip comes with 15 tablets and four were found at the actor's house.
The second tablet was Clonazepam, used to treat seizure disorders and panic attacks. Two strips of the tablet were found.
Demetriades, Rampal's partner, Gabriella's brother, was arrested on October 18. The NCB had allegedly found him to be sharing details of drug peddling activities with his contact, Arjun. During its raid, the NCB did not find any narcotics substances at the actor's place. After a long search, officers found Ultracet and Clonazepam, which are banned under the NDPS Act, unless there is a valid prescription.
Gabriella was then called to record her statement on November 11 and 12. Rampal was questioned on November 13 for nearly seven hours. He was shown Demetriades' WhatsApp chats.
"When he saw the chats, Rampal said that the number is someone else's and not his. He added that he did not talk to Demetriades on a daily basis," an NCB officer said.
The NCB then verified the number and found Rampal's claims to be true. He was later questioned about the banned tablets. Ultracet is for his dog, who is suffering from joint pain and howls with pain. This was verified with the Bandra-based veterinary doctor, who confirmed the dog's condition, saying the tablet was being prescribed since around June.
Rampal had submitted the prescriptions during the first round of questioning.
On the other hand, the prescription for Rampal's sister was found to be backdated. In his statement, Dr Rohit Garg, from Delhi, said that he did not know about the NCB probe and issued the prescription in good faith after being approached by a friend.
When asked about this, the actor said he does not know about the prescription being backdated as it is his sister's. Rampal's sister's statement has not been recorded yet.
However, NCB officers confirmed to mid-day that the prescription was procured after the raids to evade a probe and that the sister's statement will be recorded soon after taking legal advice.
An NCB officer told mid-day, "We raided his home based on certain information, there is no question of mistaken identity. We will prove it in the trial."
