Actor Arjun Rampal was questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for over seven hours on Friday in connection with the seizure of banned painkillers from his home in Bandra West. The NCB had summoned the 47-year-old actor to explain why he was in possession of opioid drug Tramadol. Rampal left the NCB office in Ballard Pier a few minutes past 6 pm.Emerging from the questioning, Rampal told mediapersons that he had given the agency a prescription. Possession of Tramadol, a powerful painkiller, is banned in India without a prescription. An NCB official said that the agency was verifying the veracity of the prescription. He further mentioned being cooperative with the central agency and said that they are doing a good job.
Meanwhile, the agency has arrested a friend of Arjun named Paul Bartel who happens to be a foreign national on Thursday. He is said to have links with Gabriella’s brother Agisialos Demetriades who has been already arrested by the NCB in a drugs case. Paul, who is an architect by profession, has been sent to judicial custody till November 25. The officials are said to have searched his residence in Bandra but were not able to recover anything. Paul Bartels is currently employed as an engineering manager with a major international construction contractor. According to NCB, Bartels is alleged to be a part of the conspiracy to procure drugs along with Agisilaos, who was arrested by the NCB in October for possession of drugs.