STAFF REPORTER
MUMBAI
With the Narcotics Control Bureau picking up one Kshitij Prasad in the SSR drug trail -- who has been associated with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions – the film-maker felt obliged to put out a statement on twitter.
Johar said, in response to the fast-paced
developments, "I would like to state that several media/news channels have been airing news reports that Kshitij Prasad and Anubhav Chopra are my aides/close aides. I would like to place on record that I do not know these individuals personally and neither of these two individuals are aides or close aides."
Going into specifics, Johar said that Kshitij had joined "Dharmatic Entertainment (sister concern of Dharma Productions) in November 2019 as one of the executive producers on contract basis for a project which eventually did not materialise."
About another employee of Dharma productions, former assistant director Anubhav Chopra, who was also questioned by the NCB on Friday, Johar said: "He is not an employee at Dharma Productions. He was briefly associated with us for only two months in the capacity of a 2nd assistant director for a film, between November 2011 and January 2012, and as assistant director for a short film in January 2013. He has thereafter never been associated with Dharma Productions for any other project."
Referring for the first time to an in famous race party where many A-listers were present, Johar said media was wrongly reporting that narcotics were consumed at the even that he hosted on July 28, 2019, at his residence. ‘‘I had already clarified my position way back in 2019 that the allegations are 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.’’
He also underscored that he does not consume narcotics or encourage its consumption. Also, neither he, nor his production house, can be made responsible for what people do in their personal lives.
The NCB is probing an alleged drug nexus involving actors and other members of the film industry. Kshitij may be arrested by the drug enforcement agency.
