Filmmaker Karan Johar issued a statement on the alleged use of drugs at one of his parties, calling this a ‘malicious campaign’. In his statement, he has also refuted claims about his links to two people being probed in the drug abuse investigation.

The filmmaker also refuted claims by several media reports that described Kshitij Prasad and Anubhav Chopra, who is currently being investigated for their alleged role in the drug abuse as his ‘aides.’

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In the statement, Karan Johar said, “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’,”

In the statement, producer-director Karan Johar said that Anubhav Chopra was not an employee of Dharma Productions though he ‘briefly associated’ as an assistant director between 2011 and 2013  on two projects.

Kshitij Prasad had joined Dramatic Entertainment, a company related to Dharma Productions on contractual basis in November 2019 but that project ‘did not materialise.’

Both Anubhav Chopra and Kshitij Prasad were questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Friday for drug abuse investigation.

Filmmaker Karan Johar has been targeted by people and a certain section of media ever since death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June. The viral video clip, that filmmaker posted on his social media handle from his house part in 2019 actors Shahid Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Vicky Kaushal among others can be seen partying together has also been under scanner.

In his statements, he said: “These slanderous and malicious statements, news articles and news clippings have unnecessarily subjected me, my family, and my colleagues, and Dharma Productions, to hatred, contempt and ridicule.”

“I would like to unequivocally once again state that I do not consume narcotics and I do not promote or encourage consumption of any such substance,” he added.

Karan Johar in his statement said that media has ‘resorted to distasteful, distorted and false allegations’ and that he hoped that media would ‘exercise restraint’.

He said, “In the past few days, the media has resorted to distasteful, distorted and false allegations. I hope the members of the media would exercise restraint else I will be left with no option but to legally protect my rights against this baseless attack on me.”

NCB has also summoned Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor and Rakul Preeet Singh in this probe. Actress Deepika Padukone who has arrived at NCB quarters for her questioning.

NCB has arrested Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik Chakraborty and 12 others in the drug angle in Sushant Singh Rajput’s case who was found hanging at his home June 14.