A 34-year-old television serial actress, Shamnath, was taken into custody by Paravur police on Friday night from her residence in Kerala's Ozhivupara. The arrest was made after authorities received a tip-off, leading to a raid at her house, where approximately two milligrams of methylenedioxyphenethylamine (MDMA) were discovered.
According to police officials, Shamnath is suspected to have been using the banned substance for some time. An investigation is currently underway to identify those responsible for supplying her with the drugs.
"About two milli grams of MDMA were found in her custody. We suspect that she has been using the drugs for some time," a police official told news agency ANI.
The actress was booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. This development highlights the ongoing concerns regarding substance abuse in the entertainment industry.
Bollywood and drug cases
It's worth noting that this isn't the first instance of a celebrity facing legal action for narcotics possession. Aryan Khan, the son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, was arrested in 2022 in a drug bust case. But Aryan was given a clean chit by the Narcotics Control Bureau in the case. The 24-year-old had spent 22 days in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail. The Special Investigation Team said that except for Aryan Khan and another person on the cruise named Mohak, all other accused were found in possession of narcotics substances.
Actor Rhea Chakraborty was also charged by the NCB in connection with a drugs case linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.
{{/usCountry}}Actor Rhea Chakraborty was also charged by the NCB in connection with a drugs case linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.
{{/usCountry}}Sushant died on June 14, 2020. He was found dead in his Mumbai apartment. A case of alleged abetment to suicide was registered against Rhea by Sushant’s parents. A parallel probe into alleged drug procurement by her also began based on her WhatsApp chats.
The NCB had charged Rhea under Section 27-A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act which pertains to “financing and harbouring illegal drug trafficking”. She was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in the cases registered against her in connection with a drugs-related probe linked to Sushant.