Central Crime Branch (CCB) has raided the home of actress Ragini Dwivedi in connection with drug trafficking. CCB police, armed with a search warrant from the court, went to Ragini’s residence in court design, Yalahanka, Bengaluru, with a female police inspector and raided the house. Ragini was at home during the raid.
His friend Ravi Shankar was questioned and arrested by the police yesterday on drug supply charges. Drug trafficking was alleged to be rampant in Kannada’s film industry and many influential people were involved in it as well.
According to sources, Shankar is an official with the state Regional Transportation Office (RTO) in Jayanagar, in the exclusive suburb of the city. “It became known that Shankar attended rave parties with Ragini where drugs such as marijuana (ganja), cocaine and hashish were used,” said a source.
City police began cracking down on drugs Monday after prominent Kannada film producer Inderjit Lankesh alleged that around a dozen Sandalwood actors were on drugs and that there was a link between them and drug mafias.
Ragini, 30, who is the first Kannada film actor to be summoned by the CCB after Lankesh on August 29, alleged that actors and musicians were involved in the use of prohibited drugs during filming sessions and at rave parties. organized by various stakeholders.
Lankesh’s shocking revelations about rampant abuse of prohibited drugs in the multi-channel film industry came three days after the Bureau of Narcotics Control (NCB) stopped a drug trafficking business in the city and arrested former television actress Kannada D Anikha and two of her accomplices. R Ravindran and M Anoop, on August 26.
The central agency also seized a large cache of drugs from the defendants, including 145 ecstasy or MDMA pills and Rs 2.2 lakh in cash from the Royal Suites Hotel Apartment in the city’s northeast suburb on August 21 and more pills in a raid of follow up last week. .
Drug trafficking is suspected of supplying recreational and party drugs to Sandalwood actors, children of important people, students, and others.
“Prominent musicians and actors in the Kannada film industry are under scanner after their drug ties came to light,” an NCB official had previously said.
(With IANS inputs)
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