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Bengaluru drug case: Aditya Alva arrested, remanded to 7-day police custody
SC adjourns special leave petition seeking bail by another accused in the same case.
One of the key accused in the Bengaluru drug case Aditya Alva who was absconding for the last five months was finally arrested by the Central Crime Branch unit of Bengaluru police in Chennai late on Monday night and brought to the city on Tuesday. His arrest was confirmed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandip Patil.
Alva, son of yesteryear Janata Party stalwart and former minister Jeeveraj Alva, was accused of hosting parties at which drugs were allegedly consumed by Sandalwood and other celebrities at 'House of Life' residence which is part of a resort owned by his family in North Bengaluru.
Alva, brother-in-law of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, is the sixth accused in the charge sheet filed in the case at Cottonpet Police station in the city. CCB police had even raided Oberoi's residence in search of Alva.
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Aditya was produced later in front of a JMFC court which remanded him to seven-day police custody as requested by the authorities. CCB sources told HT that Alva, who was on the run continuously shifting cities as the police spread a nationwide dragnet for him, was finally caught at a friend's residence in Chennai based on a tip-off. "We intend to find out what all activities took place, if and what all drugs were consumed at his place, as well as who all participated."
Meanwhile the Supreme Court today adjourned its hearing to next week on a special leave petition (SLP) filed by Ragini Dwivedi, a Sandalwood actress who is also one of the accused in the Bengaluru drugs case. Ragini and another actress Sanjana Galrani had been arrested in the case. Galrani is out on bail but Ragini's bail plea was rejected by the Karnataka HC in November. Ragini is accused of both consuming and supplying drugs. Her SLP will now be taken up for hearing by the SC on 19 January. At present, she is lodged in the Parapanna Agrahara prison located on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
