CM B S Yediyurappa blames previous governments over drug menace

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday accused the previous governments of having turned a blind eye towards the drug menace in the state.

"For more than a decade this was going on but the previous governments had turned a blind eye towards it. This time we are getting it investigated thoroughly," the Chief Minister told reporters in Bengaluru. He was replying to queries on the police investigation into the drug menace among bigwigs of the state including film actors, children of politicians and realtors.

The Chief Minister said no one would be spared. "There is no question of sparing anyone. Whoever is involved in it, a detailed investigation will be carried out for the first time in the history of the country," Yediyurappa said. He pointed out that the investigation has exposed many people and promised that the government would initiate stringent action against the accused persons. Police have launched a crackdown against the drug menace after the Narcotics Control Bureau arrested three people including a woman who were allegedly supplying drugs to the Kannada film actors and singers.

The police have registered cases against 14 people and arrested seven of them including actresses Ragini Dwivedi, Sanjjanaa Galrani, party organiser Viren Khanna, former minister Late Jeevaraj Alva's son Aditya Alva. The police have said they may interrogate many more people based on the inputs given by the arrested persons. Meanwhile, those arrested underwent a dope test in the city to ascertain whether they were addicted to drugs or not.