Samuel Miranda detained by NCB after raid at his house in Sushant Singh Rajput death case

MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which is probing the drug angle in Sushant Singh Rajput case, detained Samuel Miranda, a close aide and former manager of Sushant Singh Rajput, after conducting a raid at his house in the wee hours on Friday (September 4). 

According to reports, Miranda is likely to be taken to the NCB office after his detention.

Two separate teams of NCB conducted parallel raids at residences of Rhea Chakraborty and Samuel Miranda at around 6:30 am and 6:45 am on Friday morning. The raids were conducted a day after the Mumbai court sent alleged drug peddler Zaid Vilatra to seven-day custody of the 
NCB.

An NCB official said the searches are routine and the drug law enforcement agency is following due procedures.

Sources, however, stated that latest raids by NCB were aimed at recovering anything that is related to the drug angle in Sushant death case. They added that during the raid, the NCB officials searched Rhea Chakraborty’s mobile phone, laptop and car. 

On the intervening nights of August 27-28, the NCB carried out searches at several locations in Mumbai and arrested two people, namely Abbas Lakhani and Karan Arora. The officials recovered ‘bud’ (curated marijuana) from their possession. The official said that the detailed network analysis and the follow-up investigation uncovered the linkages of Abbas Lakhani with Zaid Vilatra.

NCB sources said that Parihar had connections with Samuel Miranda, who was also a close associate of Rhea Chakraborty. Miranda is accused of procuring drugs on the instructions of Rhea’s brother Showik.

The NCB has registered a case against Rhea, her brother Showik, talent manager Saha, Sushant’s co-manager Shruti Modi, and Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya under Sections 20 (b) 28, 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The NCB registered the case after the Enforcement Directorate wrote to it after WhatsApp messages between Rhea and Shruti Modi, Miranda and Pithani came to light.

[Sources: Ankur Tyagi, Nityanand Sharma]