Hyderabad drugs case: Tollywood unfazed!

Like filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma ridiculed the SIT authorities who are probing the alleged involvement of film personalities in the drugs case by saying that the department is using the film industry as a trailer to publicise its existence, the film industry too seems to have taken it lightly. Though initially, the celebs who received notices from the SIT, seemed shaken, they now say, “They didn’t take it seriously because they know there’s no concrete evidence.”

Filmmaker Puri Jagannadh admits, “We laughed off the notice because I am clean and not involved in any anti-social activities. I am a law-abiding citizen.” Actor Subbaraju also admits,  “When I got the notice, I was shocked to see my name flashed in an unfamiliar territory. But I am clean and not guilty of anything, so I did not think much about it other than to cooperate with the authorities. I was just called by the SIT authorities for clarification, that’s it. As for the status of the case, I have no clue,” he explains, adding, “The media portrayed me in a wrong way and assassinated my character, destroying my reputation and causing distress to my family.”

Apparently, Charmme too got rather busy with her work, so she had no time to brood on the issue. “Charmme had no time to focus on the allegations. She quickly got back to work, overseeing the production of Balakrishna-starrer Paisa Vasool. She was upset initially because the news of her alleged involvement in the drugs case affected her mother and her health,” informs a source close to the actress.

Actor Nandu recalls that more than the notice, he was apprehensive about his name being found in an ‘illegal’ space. “It (the notice) was a shocker for me, more so because my name appeared in a zone which was “illegal”. However, I felt relieved and happy after I spoke to the authorities. Even they were respectful towards me and said that they were calling us only for seeking clarification.”

‘Law will take its course’

Akun Sabharwal, the Director of the Enforcement wing of the Prohibition and Excise department, who is spearheading the drugs case, doesn’t care about Ram Gopal Varma’s comments or others’ opinion on how the drugs issue was nothing but a sensational news item. “We have issued notices to 41 people, out of which only 12 are from the film industry. Why will we call only a few people from such a big industry unless there’s certainty? It’s a very serious and sensitive issue and we are doing a serious job. The celebrities who were called for investigation were questioned for more than seven hours each, which shows the gravity of the issue.”

He adds, “I would not like to talk about the comments or the criticism (RGV’s comments) coming our way because the case is still under investigation, and it would be inappropriate to say anything at this point. But the law will take its own course and stringent action will be initiated against those found guilty. Several arrests have already been made and the chargesheets will be filed by mid-September.”