Couple working as tattoo artists arrested in Bengaluru for drug peddling again

A couple who were out on bail after being arrested for drug peddling in Bengaluru have been caught by the CCB on Monday for the second time.

Published on: Nov 16, 2022, 11:57:19 IST

By Yamini C S | Edited by Chandrashekar Srinivasan

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Bengaluru Police's Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested a couple released on bail after being accused of peddling drugs in the city. Sigil Varghese Mamparampil from Kerala's Kottayam and Vishnu Priya from Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore - both worked at a tattoo parlour - made headlines in March after they were arrested with 12 kilograms of hashish oil worth ₹7 crore.

Tattoo artists Sigil Varghese and Vishnupriya were first arrested by Bengaluru police in March.

They continued peddling drugs after bail, The Times of India reported. They live in north Bengaluru's Kothanur and were arrested Monday for dealing at Parappana Agrahara.

ALSO READ | Bengaluru couple arrested for dealing in drugs to maintain a luxurious lifestyle

Media reports indicate they have been dealing since 2020 and began doing so to maintain their lifestyle. An associate, Vikram, was arrested with them in March.

Together, the trio would sell drugs to college students.

Police told Hindustan Times the drugs were brought from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

ALSO READ | Two arrested in Bengaluru with 21 kg weed worth ₹10 lakh

Media reports say Mamparampil and Priya met at a city college when they were students. They later rented a house in the BTM Layout in which drugs worth ₹8 crore were found.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More