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Drugs Probe: Rhea's Lawyer Says She Didn't Name Anyone, WhatsApp Says Messages Can't Be Accessed By Third Party

Actors Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan have been summoned by the NCB in the case.
Rhea Chakraborty arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with drugs-related allegations taken for medical examination to hospital on September 8, 2020 in Mumbai.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Rhea Chakraborty arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with drugs-related allegations taken for medical examination to hospital on September 8, 2020 in Mumbai.

As the Narcotics Control Bureau summoned actors Deepika Padukone and Shraddha Kapoor reportedly on the basis of old WhatsApp messages, the platform asserted on Thursday that its messages were protected and no third party could access them.

Meanwhile, Chakraborty’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde told CNN News18 in an interview that she had not named anyone except Sushant Singh Rajput in her statement in the drugs case.

“Rhea Chakraborty has not named anybody in her statement. If NCB or anybody is making a statement that she has leaked, it’s totally false. There is no thread of evidence that suggests that Rhea Chakraborty has named anybody apart from what Sushant Singh Rajput had consumed all his life when she was with him.”

Meanwhile, a WhatsApp spokesperson told NDTV: “WhatsApp protects your messages with end-to-end encryption so that only you and the person you’re communicating with can read what is sent, and nobody in between can access it, not even WhatsApp. It’s important to remember that people sign up on WhatsApp using only a phone number, and WhatsApp doesn’t have access to your message content,”

“WhatsApp follows guidance provided by operating system manufacturers for on-device storage and we encourage people to take advantage of all the security features provided by operating systems such as strong passwords or biometric IDs to prevent third parties from accessing content stored on device,” the spokesperson said.

The NCB, which began the inquiry into a drugs angle in connection with Rajput’s alleged suicide, has now widened its investigation and asked a clutch of Bollywood celebrities to “join the probe”.

NDTV reported that NCB summoned Padukone and Kapoor on basis of chats dating back to 2017, accessed from the cellphone of talent agent Jaya Saha. Saha, the talent manager of Sushant Singh Rajput, was found dead at his Mumbai apartment on June 14.

NCB official told PTI that Padukone, Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan would join the its probe into alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus on Saturday while actor Rakul Preet Singh, and Padukone’s manager Karishma Prakash would join the investigation on Friday.

NCB has already recorded statements by fashion designer Simone Khambatta and Shruti Modi, Rajput’s former manager.

Sara Ali Khan, Rajput’s co-star in the film Kedarnath, was summoned by the NCB on Wednesday. Rhea Chakraborty’s bail petition before the Bombay High Court reportedly said Rajput developed a drugs habit while shooting the film.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.