Puri Jagannadh
Effectively-known Telugu movie director Puri Jagannadh on Tuesday appeared earlier than the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in reference to a cash laundering probe linked to a four-year-old drug case. Jagannadh alongside together with his chartered accountant appeared earlier than ED officers after he was summoned in reference to the probe. The ED final week issued notices to 10 individuals linked to Tollywood and two others, together with a non-public membership supervisor, as a part of its investigation.
In addition to Jagganadh, actors Rakul Preet Singh, Rana Daggubati, Ravi Teja, Charmee Kaur, Navdeep, Mumaith Khan have been requested to look earlier than ED between August 31 and September 22
Tanish, Nandu, actor Ravi Teja’s driver Srinivas had been additionally amongst these summoned.
The questioning is more likely to convey to mild new information concerning the racket which was busted with the arrest of drug peddlers in 2017.
Earlier than starting the questioning of Tollywood personalities, the ED gathered particulars of the investigations carried out by the Particular Investigation Crew (SIT) of Telangana’s prohibition and excise division.
The questioning by the ED has introduced the main target again on the case, which was in chilly storage and was even thought of lifeless by many because of the clear chit given by SIT to the movie personalities.
The racket was busted on July 2, 2017 when customs officers arrested Calvin Mascarenhas, a musician, and two others and seized medication price Rs 30 lakh from their possession.
They’d reportedly instructed the investigators that they had been supplying medication to movie celebrities, software program engineers, and even college students of some company faculties. Cellular numbers of some Tollywood celebrities had been allegedly discovered of their contact lists.
The Excise Division had constituted SIT for a complete probe.
A complete of 12 circumstances had been registered, 30 individuals had been arrested whereas 62 people together with 11 individuals linked with Tollywood had been examined by the SIT beneath part 67 of the Narcotic Medicine and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and part 161 of Felony Process Code.
The SIT had collected blood, hair, nail and different samples from a few of those that appeared earlier than it for query and despatched them for evaluation.
It filed chargesheet in eight out of 12 circumstances. The Crew nonetheless, gave clear chit to the movie personalities who had been questioned as a part of the investigation.
The accused towards whom circumstances had been booked embrace Rafeal Alex Victor, a South African citizen, and Puttakar Ranson Joseph, working within the movie trade as a supervisor.
Joseph was the supervisor of main actor Kajal Agarwal who sacked him after his arrest.
The authorities had recovered 3,000 items of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), 105 grams of MDMA (generally generally known as ecstasy), 45 grams of cocaine and different narcotic and psychotropic substances from the accused.
