CCB: No evidence to corroborate Lankesh's claim

Bengaluru: A day after Indrajit Lankesh, brother of Gauri Lankesh who was murdered in 2017, claimed that he had submitted evidence with regard to the involvement of Sandalwood biggies in drugs, the Central Crime Branch on Tuesday said the filmmaker has not submitted any material or evidence to corroborate his claims.

On Monday, Lankesh had deposed before the police and was questioned for about five hours in connection with the alleged drug activities in the Kannada film industry, popularly known as Sandalwood. Filmmaker-journalist claimed that the Kannada film industry was in the grip of drugs. "I was there (CCB office) for about four and a half to five hours. If I have spent such a long time there then you can imagine how much information I would have shared with them (police). I have given names of 10-15 actors along with proof. I believe the police will investigate their involvement and reveal their names shortly, Lankesh had claimed.

"Yesterday Indrajit Lankesh was called to CCB and his statement was taken, wherein he mentioned about some past incidents and also took few names.No material or evidence was given to corroborate what he said. We are inquiring into it," Bengaluru Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil said in a statement.

Patil added that the CCB will call Lankesh again and give him an opportunity to give any evidence or material if he has to support his statement. At the same time, the CCB would also do its own inquiry to collect evidence. A day after deposing before the CCB and giving his statement, Lankesh on Tuesday claimed that at least 15 people in the Kannada film industry were involved in the drug business. "I have given (names of) around 15 people whom I know are into drug business.I shared those names with the police," he had said.

Lankesh was questioned for nearly five hours by the Central Crime Branch on Monday for his statement that there were many people in the film industry who were into the drug business either as consumers or sellers. The filmmaker made the statement in the wake of the Narcotics Control Bureau busting a drug trafficking racket here and claimed some "prominent musicians and actors" in Karnataka were under its scanner.

Stating that the drug menace is not new, it has been on for many years and mostly the rich fall into its trap, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said, "As Lankesh claimed in a statement to local news channels that a few film actors whom he knows were into drugs, we have asked him to give us details for investigating his allegations," the Home Minister had said.

What's the truth?

I was there (CCB office) for about four and a half to five hours. If I have spent such a long time there then you can imagine how much information I would have shared with them (police). I have given names of 10-15 actors along with proof. I believe the police will investigate their involvement and reveal their names shortly Indrajit Lankesh

Yesterday Indrajit Lankesh was called to CCB and his statement was taken, wherein he mentioned about some past incidents and also took few names. No material or evidence was given to corroborate what he said. We are inquiring into it Bengaluru Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil