Hyderabad: Drugs and Tollywood. Does it sound like a puzzle? Not quite. The drug dragnet is spreading tentacles in Tollywood as murky dealing of cine stars with drug dealers got exposed by the police on Thursday.
Actor Navdeep and film producer Ravi Uppalapati’s names also surfaced in this regard. The police unearthed a racket, which was aided by famous pubs in Hyderabad blowing the lid off the dark underbelly of the film industry. Cops said Devarakonda Suresh Rao, son of former Mahbubnagar MP Dande Vittal Rao, Tollywood director Anugu Sushanth Reddy and six others, including three Nigerian drug suppliers, were arrested by the Telangana State Narcotics Bureau (TS NAB).
Also read: Tollywood actor Navdeep grilled over money laundering, ties with drug supplier
According to police, some more big names may also crop up. "Actor Navdeep, Ravi, Kalahar Reddy and five more persons who are linked with the drug racket are on the run along with their families. we have lunched a search to trace them," Hyderabad police commissioner C.V. Anand said.
He also said under a shoddy dealing, Rs 5.5 crore were deposited in Venkatarathna Reddy's bank account. The search was intensified after tracking the bank account. Besisdes Navdeep, and film producer Ravi Uppalpati, Snart pub owner Surya in Hyderabad, four other kingpins and three Nigerians, who are masterminds in drug trafficking, are absconding, Anand added.
In 2017, Navdeep’s name had surfaced in the infamous Tollywood drug scandal. He was embroiled in a case involving 15 others Tollywood celebrities, who were questioned by a special investigation team.
The police said the action comes in the backdrop of probing contacts of arrested film producer K. Venkatratna Reddy, ex-Navy man B. Balaji and railway employee D. Murali, who were arrested in a recent raid. The police seized 50 grams of MDMA, 24 ecstasy pills and eight grams of cocaine, cash worth Rs 10 lakh from the accused persons.
Investigation revealed that Amobi Chukvudhi (29), who is a member of Yehelhamk Football Club in Bangalore, used to raise funds for bail of his countrymen arrested in drug cases and send them back to Nigeria.
Igbawre Michael (32), and Thomas Anagha Kalu (49) along with Amobee sold drugs to acquaintances in Bangalore and Hyderabad. He came in contact with Ram Kishore who lives in Warangal, and expanded his drug business.
Ram Kishore introduced Nigerians to Kapa Bhaskar Balaji (34), a resident of the Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh. Balaji used to party with his friends at Fresh Living Apartments at Madapur in Hyderabad. After acquainted with Nigerians Kishore used to bring drugs from Bangalore, and organise parties which were attended by Tollywood celebrities.
K. Venkatarathna Reddy (42), a resident of Gunturu Nehrunagar in AP, who worked as a financier for films like Kick, Businessmen, Dhamarukam and Lovely Autonagar. Surya used to provide drugs through Balaji for the parties organised by him. Balaji opened an account with the name Godshead through Snapchat to sell drugs.
On August 31, sleuths arrested Balajini, a resident of an apartment under Gudimalkapur police station limits. Venkatarathna Reddy, a central government employee, who was organising a rave party in the Fresh Living apartment in Madapur, was also arrested.
Based on the data on their phones and other information, Amoby, Michael, and Thomas along with Devrakonda Suresh Rao (35), a resident of Visakhapatnam who was into nursery business in Hyderabad, Kolli Ram Chand (37), a software employee from Khammam district Sandeep (35), Sushant Reddy (36) were tracked down. The local poker manager Pagalla Srikar Krishnapraneet (32) from Guntur district was also taken into custody.
Four grams of drugs were found in possession of Suresh Rao. Police said that Kolli Ram Chand was involved in the drug trafficking with Navdeep. Police said 13 people who bought drugs from Balaji are absconding.
