ED to review SIT report on Tollywood drug case
10 personalities from Telugu film industry were given clean chit
Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will review the 2017 drug case in which more than ten Tollywood personalities were given a clean chit by the state government.
Directorate officials, who questioned over 10 Tollywood actors and actresses in connection with the money laundering aspect, will obtain records, FIRs, forensic reports and other such material related to the case from the special investigation team (SIT) of the state excise department. They reportedly have gathered money laundering leads in the Tollywood drug case. They suspect that huge amounts have been transferred to overseas accounts after supply of narcotic substances.
The High Court had recently directed the state government to submit all documents, including FIRs, to ED officials within a month.
Among the personalities who have been questioned till date include Puri Jagannadh, Charmee Kaur, Rakul Preet Singh, Nandu, Daggubati Rana, Ravi Teja, Navdeep, Mumaith Khan and Tanish, apart from the F Club manager.
The statement of kingpin Calvin Mascarenhas is crucial for further investigation, especially into the money laundering aspect. The case was detected in 2017 when Mascarenhas was arrested in a drug peddling case.