Celebrity-Linked Peddlers' Names Surface in Film Producer Arrest Case

HYDERABAD: The recent arrest of Telugu film producer Venkatratna Reddy for possession and consumption of illegal substances revealed that several repeat offenders, linked with celebrities and legislators, are involved in the nexus of drug smuggling again.

The police said that Reddy’s arrest and subsequent probe revealed his links with 18 other individuals, all of whom are absconding and have been served notices. Among them, the names of Ravi Uppalapadi (Accused-10) and Kalahar Reddy (A13) have resurfaced, the police said.

Kalahar Reddy and his associates from the city were apprehended by the Bengaluru police in 2021 from a rave party, where drug consumption was suspected. Following their arrest and interrogation, the names of four Telangana MLAs were revealed, turning the case into a major sensation.

TS Narcotics Bureau (TS-NAB) SP Sunitha Reddy said that the resurfacing of Kalahar Reddy's name has ignited widespread discussion, as Tollywood celebrities and politicians might be linked to these developments.

“We are focusing on number of parties hosted, number of drug consumers, and the extent of drug involvement in this investigation. To conduct a thorough inquiry, we deployed extra teams for it,” she said.

Sunitha Reddy said that the drug trafficking environment is an extremely dynamic one, with traffickers using all means at their disposal to avoid being traced. “To create a safe and drug-free environment, especially for the youth, we have been undertaking strategical operations since June,” she said.

“In June and July, we registered 196 cases, of which 175 cases pertained to ganja, resulting in the apprehension of 353 individuals, while 46 persons were arrested in 21 other narcotics cases. Special teams are formed to keep track on educational institutions as incidents of youngsters falling prey to drugs are on the rise,” the SP said.