Deva Actor Arrested as Police Probe Digital Drug Network

Actor and model Rohullah Mehdi, who appeared alongside Shahid Kapoor in the 2025 film Deva, has been arrested by the Kashimira Police Crime Branch in connection with an alleged drug-trafficking case in Mumbai.

According to police accounts reported by multiple media outlets, investigators seized 28 grams of mephedrone (MD), valued at approximately ₹5.6 lakh, during the operation. Mehdi and an associate were arrested as part of the investigation.

The case reportedly began after police received intelligence about MD drugs allegedly being sold using Snapchat, WhatsApp and other social-media platforms. Investigators subsequently deployed a decoy customer to trace the suspected supply chain.

Police first apprehended a man identified as Kasif near Thakur Mall in the Dahisar Check Naka area during an alleged drug transaction. During questioning, he allegedly identified Mehdi as a supplier, prompting investigators to pursue the actor.

Mehdi was subsequently arrested outside a studio in Malad, where he was reportedly shooting. He was produced before a court and remanded to five days of police custody.

The investigation has now widened beyond the initial seizure. Police are attempting to identify the broader supply network, determine who may have received narcotics and establish whether other individuals were involved.

The entertainment connection has inevitably attracted significant attention because Mehdi appeared in Shahid Kapoor's Deva and has reportedly worked in web series. However, authorities have not publicly accused Shahid Kapoor of any involvement, and the investigation concerns Mehdi and the alleged network.

More significantly, the case demonstrates how alleged illicit distribution networks can exploit mainstream digital communication platforms. Encrypted messaging, disappearing content and social-media connections can make traditional investigation more challenging while expanding the potential reach of illegal networks.

For law-enforcement agencies, such cases increasingly underline the importance of digital forensics, social-media intelligence, financial-trail analysis and AI-assisted network mapping alongside conventional policing.

The arrest is therefore not merely a Bollywood story. It highlights the changing nature of narcotics investigations, where the trail increasingly runs through smartphones and digital platforms. As the investigation continues, establishing the full network—and separating allegations from proven facts—will remain critical.