MUMBAI: Actor Ananya Panday daughter of Bollywood actor Chunky Panday today appeared before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) after the agency had summoned her in connection with an investigation into the WhatsApp chats that had been found during the investigation against Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, in the cruise drugs seize case.

According to an NCB official, Ananya's name had reportedly featured in the WhatsApp chats of Khan who is one of the accused in the case and they have to determine the role of the actor in the said case besides questioning her if she consumed drugs and if she had any contacts with drug peddlers.

When asked if she would be arrested, the official however said that just because she was being questioned did not mean that she's an accused.

The star kids, Khan and Ananya are childhood friends who have been known to socialise together and Ananya and Aryan's sister Suhana are said to be very good friends.

Ananya made her debut in films in 2019 with leading roles in the films Student of the Year 2 and the comedy Pati Patni Aur Woh.

Earlier in the day, the NCB had raided Ananya's residence and had seized her laptop and mobile phone which will be sent to forensic investigation to ascertain and corroborate the details that they have found in the phone and other devices of Khan.

Khan and his friend Arbaaz Merchant and model Munmun Dhamecha lodged and others were arrested after they were caught on the cruise with narcotics contraband. The special court has rejected their bail plea and they while the boy are lodged in the Arthur Road jail, Dhamecha is lodged at the Byculla Jails' women's cell in judicial custody. 

The special judge V V Patil while rejecting the bail noted that although Khan was not caught with any drugs on him, however since his friend Merchant who was along with him and was caught with the contraband during the raid and since Khan had the knowledge of it, it amounted to 'conscious possession' of both the accused.