Tollywood Drugs case: Actress Charmee appears before ED

Actress Charmee Kaur appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday after being summoned as part of a money-laundering probe in connection with a high-end drugs racket that was busted in Hyderabad in 2017.

Hyderabad: Actress Charmee Kaur appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here on Thursday after being summoned as part of a money laundering probe in connection with a high-end drugs racket that was busted in Hyderabad in 2017.

A total of 12 film personalities were summoned by the ED, including Charmee, to appear on Thursday. The officials questioned those summoned at length. Authorities examined Charmee's bank account details during a nearly 6-hour investigation. Inquired about suspicious transactions were also made.

"I attended the hearing as per the notices of the ED officers. Answered all the questions asked by the officers. I will co-operate in all possible ways with the investigation of the officers. I have given bank documents to officers who asked me. I cannot speak further in terms of investigating the case," Charmee said while talking to reporters.

In 2017, Charmee faced an excise inquiry in a drugs case after customs arrested Calvin Mascarenhas, a musician, and two others and seized drugs worth Rs 30 lakh from their possession. The entire investigation is currently ongoing based on Calvin's information.

Bank transactions from Calvin were collected by the authorities. Officers who collected the bank accounts of eight suppliers are investigating suspicious transactions. Director Puri Jagannath has already been questioned by the authorities.

The drug racket was exposed in July 2017 and several cases related to drug trafficking were registered and over 20 people were arrested including a US citizen, who was a former aerospace engineer and had worked with NASA, a Dutch national, a South African national besides seven B. Tech degree holders employed with multi-national companies here.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana's Prohibition and Excise department, as part of its investigation, had also probed the alleged drug-links with Tollywood, and had then questioned 11 people connected to the Telugu film industry including actors and directors besides the driver of one of the actor and had also collected hair and nail samples.

SIT questioned them to find out if they had any links with the racket as consumers or suppliers or with those arrested.

Charmee, who was also questioned by the SIT then, was among those who were summoned by ED to appear before it.