Rahul was my good friend for over 15 years, says Manju

Bengaluru: The Narcotics Control Burueau and Central Crime Branch crackdown on drug cartels has rocked the city. The drugs racket with links to the Sandalwood industry is taking several twists and turns each day.

It learnt that Rahul Shetty, a close associate of actor Sanjjanna Galrani has close connections with seveal Sandalwood celebrities. On Monday, a picture of popular music director Gurukiran and producer K Manju attending a dinner party hosted by drug peddler Rahul went viral. The pictures that went viral show that K Manju and Rahul are closely connected.

Reacting on the issue, producer K Manju said, "Rahul is a good friend of mine for the past 15 years. We have been associated with the film Putanni Agent. He was introduced by actor Ramakrishna Hegade. We used to meet on some film occasions, and I am not aware of his business. I met him last year during some work and there is nothing to hide about my work and my friendship with people in the film industry."

Rahul Shetty had earlier confessed that he had attended several private parties organised in casinos in neighbouring countries and accompanied actor Sanjjanaa. Rahul Shetty had also confessed that he organised parties and procured drugs for these parties in which many Sandalwood productors, actors and musicians were present.

"K Manju is a known face in the Kannada film industry and for me industry is like a temple.People know my work. Rahul is nowhere connected to the film industry. We have seen him only during some events. Sandalwood cine actors and producers are clean. There is a law. There are courts to punish the guilty." K Manju said.

However, Sandalwood music director Gurukiran was not available for a comment on his photo with drug peddler Rahul. The film fraternity claimed that people request to be photographed with celebrities. Such requests are a common place and that it is not right to blame any actor just because some individual poses a photo with celebrities.

Rahul Shetty and Sanjana, along with another Mangalore-based party planner Pruthvi Sh­e­tty, were allegedly running an event management company. Police said the parties organised by the firm were a hotspot of drug consumption and sales. Police arrested another high-profile party planner Viren Khanna, alleged drug peddlers Loum Pepper Samba, Rahul Tonse, Prash­a­n­th Ranka and Niyaz.