Comedian Bharti Singh arrested by NCB in drug case
Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday arrested comedian Bharti Singh following the seizure of ganja (cannabis) from her house in suburban Andheri, an official said.
The NCB searched Singh's house and office in the morning as part of its probe into alleged drug use in the Hindi film industry.
A team led by Sameer Wankhede, the central agency's zonal director, carried out a search at Singh's residence at Lokhandwala Complex as well as her production house based on a tip-off, a release said.
It recovered 86.5 grams of ganja during the search, the release added.
"Both Ms Bharti Singh and her husband Harsh Limbachiya accepted consumption of ganja. Bharti Singh was placed under arrest under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and examination of Mr. Limbachiya is underway," the NCB release added.
The quantity allegedly seized from Singh's possession is considered as "small quantity" under the act, as against "commercial quantity", an NCB official said.
Up to 1,000 grams of ganja is considered a small quantity, which attracts a jail term up to six months and/or a fine of Rs 10,000. Possession of commercial quantity -- 20 kg or more -- can attract up to 20 years in jail. For the quantity in between, the punishment can be as much as 10 years in jail.
"Singh's name had cropped up during the interrogation of a drug peddler," he added.
The agency also carried out searches at two other locations in the metropolis, the official said.
Bharti Singh has appeared in many comedy and reality shows on TV. She has also hosted a few such shows.
The NCB has been probing the alleged drug use in Bollywood after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June on the basis of WhatsApp chats involving drugs.
The central agency had earlier arrested Rajput's girlfriend, actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showk, some employees of the late film star, and a few others under various sections of the NDPS Act.
Rhea Chakraborty and some other accused are currently out on bail.
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Son of civic sweeper cracks UPSC exam
Thane (PTI): For 32-year-old Prashant Suresh Bhojane, whose mother works as a civic sweeper in Maharashtra's Thane city, cracking the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam was always his dream, and he persevered against all odds to finally fulfil the goal.
In the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2023 final results declared on Tuesday, he passed the exam by securing the 849th rank.
Prashant had started the journey towards fulfilling his dream in 2015, when he first appeared for the exam, and finally cracked it in the ninth attempt.
His achievement gave a reason to cheer for the residents of Khartan Road Sweepers Colony, where his family lives, as they took out a procession in celebration on Wednesday night. A few local politicians also took part in it.
Prashant's mother works as a sweeper with the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), while his father is a Class IV employee in the civic body. He completed his engineering degree, but was not interested in doing a job in that field as becoming an IAS officer was always his dream, his family members said.
Talking to PTI, Prashant said that while appearing for the UPSC exam, he started working in Delhi in 2020 at a competitive exam coaching centre, where he was given the job of checking mock exam papers of students.
"That way I could study as well as earn my livelihood," he said.
He said his parents would regularly ask him to stop giving the exams and return home, but he was confident and determined that he would achieve his goal one day.
"When I was appearing for the UPSC exam, my parents silently suffered throughout, but it has now paid off," he said.
His father Suresh Bhojane said he was very happy to see his son passing the UPSC exam.
"Earlier, I wanted my son to start doing a job, but now we feel that what he had decided was just right," he said.
Jagdish Kairalia, general secretary of 'Shramik Janata Sangh Union' that controls the labour union in several civic bodies, said Prashant's success story was celebrated in every house in the locality.
"One should not underestimate the sweepers as their children also have talent. This boy has proven it and made us proud. He is a role model for others in the colony," he said.
