Drug Case takes a dramatic turn : SIT report gives clean chit to Tollywood celebrities

Hyderabad: The Excise and Prohibition Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials who are probing the infamous Tollywood drug case have filed four charge-sheets till now in the case.

A total of 12 cases were registered in this regard and based on information provided by the accused, the SIT officials after interrogation of accused examined 62 persons connected to the Tollywood. But none of the 62 film celebrities were named in the four charge-sheets filed by them.

The facts came to light when the Excise officials provided the information regarding the investigation till now to M Padmanabha Reddy, secretary for Forum for Good Governance, who earlier filed an appeal through RTI Act and asked the latest status of the case.

It reveals that they have given clean chit to the film celebrities in the four charge-sheets they have filed in the court.

According to N A Ajay Rao, Appellate Authority, Joint Commissioner, Enforcement, the charge-sheets filed before the Additional Sessions Judge, LB Nagar, says that Rafael Alex Victor (40), a citizen of South Africa was detained at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

During search cocaine packets were found in his possession. The accused revealed that he often visits Hyderabad to sell cocaine at Rs 5,000 per gram to the needy persons.

Later in another case, Puttakar Ronson Joseph, working in the film industry as a manager at Hyderabad was caught with ganja.

The accused revealed that he was providing drugs to the film celebrities.

After recording their statements 62 film celebrities from Tollywood industry which includes actors, actressess and directors were issued notices and enquired at the Excise office in Hyderabad.

Puri Jagannath, Sham K Naidu, Subba Raju, Tarun, Navadeep, Navapada Darma Rao, Charmi Kaur, Mumaith Khan, Ravi Teja, his driver Srinivas, Tanish and Nandhu were among those who were interrogated in the case.

The SIT officials collected samples of nail and hair to identify the drug addicts.

And when the issue turned as a debate in both the Telugu States, the Excise officials told the media that they have the primary evidences against the film celebrities and on the suspicion they were interrogating them.

But not mentioning the film celebrities' names in the four charge-sheets once again once raised a debate among the public over giving clean chit to the film celebrities in the Tollywood drug case. The officials still have to file 8 charge- sheets in the court.