HYDERABAD: The Tollywood drugs case that garnered much public spotlight in 2017 due to the alleged involvement of industry bigwigs is gradually losing steam due to lack of evidence, with six of 12 cases quashed by city courts in judgments citing baseless grounds to book a few accused.
Sources in the excise and prohibition department said that the accused were acquitted in the six cases.
The case blew up following the arrest of musician Calvin Mascarenhas on July 2, 2017, by Customs and seizure of drugs valued at Rs 30 lakh.
Further investigation revealed that drugs were supplied to actors, celebrities and students of some corporate schools. An SIT headed by IPS officer Akun Sabharwal filed 12 cases, arrested 30 persons and examined 62 individuals, including 12 film stars, sending their bio samples for forensic analysis.
Actors Ravi Teja, Charmme Kaur, Mumaith Khan, Tarun, Subbaraju, Tanish, Nandu and Navadeep, director Puri Jagannath, cinematographer Shyam K. Naidu, and Ravi Teja's driver Srinivas were questioned.
While the SIT filed chargesheets in eight of 12 cases, the film personalities were given a clean chit.
Sources confirmed that two of the film personalities summoned by the SIT then were cleared as no drug traces were found in samples collected from them. Further, six cases were quashed by courts in the past two months and the latest case was quashed recently by a trial court in Hyderabad.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had approached the Telangana High Court in 2017 alleging that the SIT was not probing the case impartially and was following the directions of the state government to protect bigwigs involved in the scandal.
He had requested the High Court to hand over the probe to the CBI, Narcotic Drugs Bureau or Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. However, the High Court had directed the state government to hand over the details to the Enforcement Directorate.
