Siddharth Pithani dodging NCB from 9 months; Here’s How his Instagram post helped in arresting him

Siddharth Pithani, Sushant Singh Rajput's roommate, was caught up in the Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) net thanks to an Instagram post. In Hyderabad, he was arrested last Thursday in connection with a drug case involving the actor's death. Since August 2020, the NCB has been seeking for him.

Pithani, who was there at the residence at the time Rajput allegedly found dead, had vanished from Mumbai and had deactivated his Facebook account. However, in April, Pithani reappeared with a new Instagram account, @pithanisiddharth, which the NCB quickly monitored.

According to NCB sources, Pithani has been dodging the investigation since August 26, 2020. While the CBI is looking into Rajput's death, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is looking into the financial aspects of the case. The ED informed in a letter to NCB that drugs were being delivered to Rajput.  The ED seized the phones of Rajput associates, and their WhatsApp conversations were investigated.

The ED recovered deleted WhatsApp communications from Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty's phone, which purportedly showed traces of an illegal narcotics sale.

Under sections 20, 22, 27, and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Pyschotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Chakraborty, her brother Showik, talent management Jaya Saha, Rajput's former manager Shruti Modi, and one Gaurav Arya have been charged.

Also Read: Sushant Singh Rajput Case: SSR’s flatmate Siddharth Pithani arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau from Hyderabad

Pithani was a close friend of Rajput's and was the first one to enter his room after he died. Pithani was questioned by the CBI and the ED, but he did not react when the NCB began investigating the case and sent him summons three times. The NCB discovered that Pithani had also purchased and used narcotics before delivering them to Rajput. Pithani's Mumbai address was provided to NCB, however he was not traced there.

Tracing Pithani

Pithani had been missing for six to seven months, and the NCB had initiated a digital hunt for him. The NCB discovered Pithani's Instagram account in April, where he shared a photo with the caption "Pizza power #foodandfitness @fitnessturfasraonagar.”

On Instagram, Pithani also shared a photo of his engagement. When an NCB team arrived in Hyderabad, they headed to the gym that Pithani had tagged, but he did not show up.

The address of his home was then taken by NCB officers from the gym. "Even after receiving summons, Siddharth Pithani did not respond," NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede said at midday. We were always on the hunt for him.We were constantly tracing him, we had used every Social media platform available."

In the Sushant Singh Rajput drug case, the NCB has detained 34 persons so far. In this case, nine persons have been granted bail thus far. The National Crime Bureau of Mumbai has asked the court to cancel Rhea Chakraborty's bail.