July 19, 2017
The Special Investigation Team (SIT)
probing the drug racket in Hyderabad on Wednesday questioned well-known
Telugu film director Puri Jagannadh for nearly 10 hours and collected
his blood sample.
The sample was collected from the actor following his consent, SIT
official Srinivas Rao told reporters.
The official said they got some clues during the questioning and based
on these clues further investigations would be carried out.
After day-long suspense, the director came out of Abkari Bhavan, the
office of Prohibition & Excise Department at around 9.30 p.m.
and returned home with his family members without talking to waiting
media persons.
Jagannadh was the first among the 12 Tollywood personalities summoned
by the SIT for questioning in connection with the sensational racket.
A four-member team of SIT officials questioned the director on whether
he is addicted to drugs or has any links with the drug peddlers
arrested in the case.
"Investigation is going on at good pace," said a brief statement from
the SIT on Wednesday night.
Enforcement Director Akun Sabharwal, who is heading the probe, said
Jagannadh cooperated during the questioning.
SIT officials learnt to have questioned him about his links with Calvin
Mascarenhas, the kingpin of the racket. When he denied any links, the
officials confronted him with the evidence including photographs of the
release function of his movie "Jyothi Lakshmi" in which he was seen
with Calvin.
Jagannadh told officials that he knew Calvin only as an event manager
but denied any financial dealings with him.
The questioning continued after lunch break, causing anxiety among the
filmmaker's family members.
As he did not come out till late in the evening, his wife and other
family members rushed to the SIT office. There were speculations on
whether the director will be taken into custody. However, the officials
clarified that he will not be arrested.
Cameraman Shayam K. Naidu will appear before SIT on Thursday. Actress
Charmee Kaur was scheduled to appear on Thursday but SIT officials have
changed the schedule.
Meanwhile, Charmee's father Deep Singh Uppal has said that his daughter
has nothing to do with the drugs case. He said the allegations had
pained her.
Stating that Charmee is active in the film industry since she was 13,
he said she would not indulge in such things to spoil her successful
film career.
Actors Ravi Teja, Navdeep, Tarun, Subbaraju and Nandu, actress Mumaith
Khan, and art director Chinna are among the other celebrities who will
be questioned for their alleged links with the drug peddlers arrested
in the case.
The racket caused a sensation as authorities found that about 1,000
students of leading private schools and colleges in the city were using
high-end drugs such as LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and MDMA
(methylenedioxy-methamphetamine). They have issued advisories to over
50 schools and colleges to curb the menace.
The SIT has so far arrested 13 accused including US citizen Dundu
Anish, an aerospace engineer who had earlier worked with the NASA, and
seven B. Tech graduates, most of whom were working for MNCs.