Actor Ananya Panday appears before NCB to record statement

Actor Ananya Panday appeared before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai on Thursday after the central agency allegedly came across WhatsApp chats during its investigation against Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, in a drugs case, sources said.

Ananya's father Chunky Panday accompanied her to the NCB office located at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai, where they reached around 4 pm.

The NCB's Mumbai zonal unit, which is probing the cruise drugs seizure case, in which Aryan Khan has been arrested, visited Ananya Panday's residence in Bandra this morning and summoned her to record her statement later in the day, the sources said.

Ananya's name cropped up in the case after certain WhatsApp chats between her and Aryan Khan were allegedly found in the latter's mobile phone, the sources said, adding that earlier in the day, the NCB officials had seized her mobile and laptop.

Ananya was asked to appear before the NCB in the afternoon. Accordingly, she along with her father Chunky Panday appeared before the NCB officials, the sources said.

The NCB officials, however, are yet to clarify about her role, if any, in the case.

There was heavy deployment of police outside the NCB office and a large number of media persons were also present there.

Aryan Khan was arrested with a few others on October 3 after the NCB raided a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast and claimed to have seized drugs, including charas.

An NCB team visited Shah Rukh Khan's residence 'Mannat' in suburban Bandra this afternoon for seeking from him certain material related to the investigation into the case, an official said.

On Thursday morning, Shah Rukh Khan met his son Aryan Khan at the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai where the latter has been lodged following his arrest in the case.