New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned 10 Telugu film personalities in connection with the drugs racket which had rocked the film industry four years ago.
The ED has asked actors Rakul Preet Singh, Rana Daggubati, Ravi Teja, Charmee Kaur, Navdeep, Mumaith Khan and director Puri Jagnnadh to appear before it between August 31 and September 22. Tanish, Nandu, actor Ravi Teja’s driver Srinivas are also among those summoned.
The development has created ripples in Tollywood as Rana and Rakul Preet who were not questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana excise and prohibition department two years ago, have also been summoned by the ED, Freepress Journal reported.
Tollywood circles are worried over the questioning of the film personalities about their possible involvement in drugs and money laundering. However, an ED official has clarified that for now they will be treated only as witnesses.
Rakul Preet has been asked to appear on September 6 while Rana has been summoned on September 8.
Last month, a court in Hyderabad had accepted the charge sheets filed by the Special Investigation Team of Telangana’s excise and prohibition department
The drugs racket was busted on July 2, 2017, when customs officials arrested Calvin Mascarenhas, a musician, and two others and seized drugs worth Rs 30 lakh from their possession.
They had reportedly told the investigators that they are supplying drugs to film celebrities, software engineers, and even students of some corporate schools. Mobile numbers of some Tollywood celebrities were allegedly found in their contact lists.
It alleged that deliberate attempts were made to hush up the case. It said while cases were registered against those who brought drugs to Hyderabad, no action was taken against the middlemen and consumers in the city.
The accused against whom cases were booked include Rafeal Alex Victor, a South African citizen, Puttakar Ranson Joseph, working in the film industry as a manager. Joseph was the manager of leading actor Kajal Agarwal who sacked him after his arrest. The NGO alleged that no attempt was made to trace the customers of the accused.
The authorities had recovered 3,000 units of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), 105 grams of MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy), 45 grams of cocaine and other narcotic and psychotropic substances from the accused.
