Arjun Rampal questioned by NCB after his friend arrested in drugs probe

Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal's troubles mounted as the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested his Australian friend Paul Bartel in a drug-related case investigation, official sources said here on Friday.

Rampal was being questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Friday in connection with a drug case. He was initially summoned by the central agency on Wednesday, arrived at the NCB's zonal office in Ballard Estate, South Mumbai, around 11.00 am. The 47-year-old model-turned-actor is being questioned in connection with the case related to alleged drug use in the Hindi film industry, the official said.

His friend, Bartel, was reportedly in regular contact with Agisialos Demetriades, an alleged drug peddler, arrested by NCB in October, and the brother of Gabriella Demetriades, Rampal's live-in partner.

An architect living in Bandra, Bartel was questioned by NCB on Thursday and early Friday placed under arrest in the same case in which Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty and at least 20 others have been arrested in the past three months of NCB probe.

Rampal’s girlfriend Gabriella was questioned for more than 12 hours spread over Wednesday-Thursday, while Bartel was quizzed on Thursday.

Agisialos has been booked in another drug case after the probe revealed his connections with a Nigerian cocaine supplier, Omega Goodwin.

Both Bartel and Agisialos are known to Rampal as well as other filmdom personalities as the NCB tightens it grip on the Bollywood-drugs mafia cartels.

The NCB's Bollywood drugs angle probe was launched after the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput at his Bandra home exactly five months ago - on June 14 - in which several prominent personalities have been either questioned or arrested, and many others are on the agency's radar.