Representational imageThe drug racket bust which has sent shockwaves across the Telugu film industry took place in the wee hours of July 1. Those who landed in the police net were Calvin Mascarenhas, a small-time musician, Mohammed Abdul Quddus, who works for a private organization, and Abdul Wahab, a student.
Four days prior to the bust, there was a freak accident that shook the Telugu film industry.
A car rammed into a stationary truck on the busy Shamshabad road in Banjara Hills in the night, killing its occupant on the spot. Tollywood was in shock when the police disclosed the identity of the deceased. It was Telugu superstar Ravi Teja's younger brother Bharat. The police found several empty liquor bottles in the rear seat of the Skoda car that was involved in the accident.
Before dropping the case, the police came to the conclusion that overspeeding was the primary reasons for the tragedy and he was driving the car under the influence of alcohol. However, excise officials grew suspicious over the events that unfolded in the days that followed.
Raghu, Ravi Teja’s another brother, and Bharat had earlier been arrested for possession of narcotics. They were nabbed by the cops along with a Nigerian national. Preliminary investigations revealed that the car in which they were traveling was registered in the name of Ravi Teja.
Ravi Teja did not attend the final rites in spite of being in Hyderabad. Most of his family members, apart from Raghu, also skipped the funeral held at Jubilee Hills Mahaprasthanam. All this attracted police’s attention.
Ravi TejaAfter about a week into the incident, the Excise Department recovered phone numbers of several Tollywood A-listers, including Ravi Teja, from Calvin’s contacts. When the actor was summoned for interrogation, the main thing the SIT asked him was about Bharat’s alleged links with the drug racket. The officials hinted that the further probe would head in that direction. The scope of investigation could extend beyond Tollywood and cover even Kollywood and Mollywood, it is learnt.
Another accidental death took place under similar circumstances a year ago would also be subjected to reinvestigation. Alladi Yesuvardhan Babu, father of Tollywood actor Tanish Alladi, was found dead under suspicious conditions outside his flat on May 17 last year. Tanish has been among those who have appeared before the SIT as part of an ongoing probe into the online drug racket. His mother Saraswathi, alleging foul play in her husband’s death, informed the police that she had heard a shout before finding him lying on the ground in a pool of blood.
However, the police dropped the probe concluding that Yesuvardhan Babu ended his life over family issues and financial problems. There are demands for reinvestigation to unravel the mystery behind his death.
The SIT extended the investigations in the drug racket case to Tollywood after strategic preparation and meticulous planning. After arresting Calvin Mascarenhas, the alleged kingpin of the racket, the SIT team drove a gang led by Zeeshan Ali Khan aka Jack and some other middlemen into the net. It was from Zeeshan Ali that the cops received vital information regarding the racket’s connection with several Tollywood personalities including Pallapollu Navdeep.
Shoddy tricks to escape the law
Although all of the actors were seemingly ready to cooperate with the investigation, they had taken precautions to protect themselves from being apprehended. Many of them refused to give their consent for taking the samples of their body fluids, hair and nails to check for traces of drugs.
Actresses including Charmee Kaur sought constitutional safeguards before facing the questioning. An actress who used to have long manes appeared before the SIT after cutting her hair into a bob. Her fingernails were also artificial, those who witnessed the proceedings said. Navdeep also refused to give samples of his hair and nails.
It is easy to identify whether a person has taken drugs or not by testing his/her hair or nail samples. When the racket was busted, the first thing these actors did was exploring ways avoid such proceedings to escape the long arms of the law.
It is said that the drug racket bust was just the tip of the iceberg. It was only the small fish being caught as the drug mafia has spread its vicious tentacles across Telangana. The investigators are hoping to catch more big sharks as the investigation progresses.
New squad to weed out drug mafia
The Telangana government has drawn up plans to form a special wing under the state police to crack down on drug and hawala rackets operating in the state. However, top cops are of the opinion that unless they are given full freedom, it would be impossible to wage a determined war against the drug mafia.
The officials attached to the state Excise Department believes that if chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao strongly stands behind them, they will be able to root out the drug menace that has crept into different sections of the society including the film industry.
If such a cleansing drive takes place, it will benefit not only Tollywood, but its ripples effects could also be felt in the Malayalam film industry, which has turned into a playground for hardened criminals who indulge in anti-social activities in the guise of event managers and drivers.
(Concluded)
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