Hyderabad drug racket: Telugu filmmaker quizzed for 10 hrs

July 20, 2017 10:32

Telugu filmmaker Puri Jagannadh was on Wednesday questioned for around 10 hours by the Telangana excise department's Special Investigation Team in connection with a probe into the illicit drug trade busted in the city, during which he provided "certain clues", officials said.

Jagannadh appeared before the Special Investigation Team office in Nampally on Wednesday morning and left at around 9 pm. He cooperated with the investigators and also gave his blood sample, the officials said.

The department had last week issued notices under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, to 12 Tollywood personalities, including actors, directors and producers, asking them to

appear before its SIT.

The excise department wants to quiz them on their alleged links, if any, with those arrested in the drug peddling racket.

The questioning of Pokiri director Jagannadh, who is also a screen writer and producer, began at 10.15 am and investigation is going on, Excise Enforcement Director Akun Sabharwal told reporters.

"Shyam Kumar Naidu (cinematographer) will appear before SIT on Thursday as part of the investigation into the drug cases," Sabharwal said.

Another senior excise official said Jagannadh cooperated with the investigators during the questioning and gave "certain clues" in connection with the racket.

Asked whether Jagannadh admitted to being a drug user himself, the official said doctors collected his blood sample and further details would be known only after the report comes out.

The names of some Tollywood personalities came out during the interrogation of persons arrested in connection with the drug racket. Eleven out of the 12 personalities have acknowledged to notices while one actress is yet to respond. She will be served the notice again, the official had said.

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