- PIL filed by congress MP Revanth Reddy about status of case
- Many film celebrities names involved in the case
- Case brought into limelight by ‘Forum for Good Governance’
Hyderabad: Telangana High court on Friday directed Telangana State government to submit status report of 2017 Tollywood drug case after a PIL was filed by Congress MP Revanth Reddy on this issue.
Revanth Reddy’s claim
Revanth Reddy’s PIL has stated that several film celebrities and high-end schools and college students have been found using drugs like LSD and MDMA during the interrogation in 2017. He also said that the case should be handed over to agencies like Narcotics Control Bureau(NCB), ED and CBI as per the nature of the case. Giving full powers to SIT without including State Excise and Prohibition departments is illegal, he further claimed in the PIL. Revanth reddy’s counsel, Bollu Rachana Reddy, questioned government as to why they are not giving the case to NCB when they are ready to take it up.
Until now there was no counter filed by SIT and CJ urged to give details on the status of the trail proceedings and directed state government to file a report on SIT investigation. HC posted the matter for Dec 10th asking government to come up with full details and update of the case investigated so far.
Tollywood Drug Probe
The case had shocked and rocked Hyderabad after the people came to know that leading film personalities were involved in drug rocket in 2017. It was made more horrified when drug suppliers revealed that they supplied drugs to students of high-end-schools and colleges. This case was pushed aside by State govt. and there were speculations that it was done to protect Tollywood bigwigs and influential persons involved.
But this case opened out when Padmanabha Reddy from ‘Forum for Good Governance’ filed an application under RTI to know what action was taken on the persons involved in the case. Reply from RTI surprised Padmanabha Reddy as 12 cases and 4 charge sheets reflected names of only drug suppliers and not on middlemen and consumers.
Was SIT Probe handled in a proper way?
There are many doubts in minds of common people about handling of case by SIT. Suspecting stress or political pressures, they might have left it, said a person from film industry. Generally, SIT will be headed by a senior officer to probe such type of cases, but the fact that an inspector of Prohibition and Excise Department was asked to lead the case gives rise to doubts about the case. SIT questioned them in rountine manner like from where they got drugs and collected hair and nails of the personalities and sent them to lab and simply washed their hands, the Congress leaders alleged.
MAA statement created ripples
After SIT issued notice for12 personalities of Tollywood, a keen member from MAA met the chief minister and came out and said that no celebrity will be arrested in the case. Things are smooth and there is nothing to worry or panic, he further added. According to Padmanabaha Reddy, these statements from MAA are creating doubts that the case may be getting diluted
