Bangalore drug racket: Resort of another accused raided, two more actors served notice

Two popular Kannada actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani, along with seven others, have already been arrested in this case.

In the ongoing investigations into the Bangalore drug racket case, which allegedly involves several Kannada actors and other well-known people, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police on Tuesday raided the resort of Aditya Alva, one of the 15 who have been named in an FIR.

Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi at the Central Crime Branch office for question in connection with the sandalwood drug scandal. (PTI)

Aditya is the son of late Jeevaraj Alva, a prominent Janata Party politician who was also a minister in Karnataka. Aditya is also the brother-in-law of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi. Aditya’s mother Nandini also unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on a JD(S) ticket from Bangalore Central.

The CCB police on Tuesday raided Aditya Alva’s ‘House of Life’ resort-cum-residence which is spread over four acres in Hebbal, Bangalore. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil said that the raids had been carried out after obtaining a search warrant from the court. Aditya is accused No.6 in the FIR filed in the Cottonpet police station regarding drug procurement, usage and peddling under various sections of CrPC and NDPS acts.

Two popular Kannada actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani, along with seven others, have already been arrested in this case. Ragini is currently in judicial custody and lodged in Parpanna Agrahara prison while Galrani is in police custody. Police have said that Aditya was not available and is believed to be currently out of the country. His lawyers have approached courts for anticipatory bail.

A senior police officer, who did not want to be named as he is not authorised to speak to media, said, “The raids were conducted as we had specific information following the interrogation of some of the arrested, that rave parties where drugs were freely consumed were conducted at the resort. We will eventually question Aditya also”.

Meanwhile, two other ‘Sandalwood’ actors, Diganth Manchale and Aindrita Ray, who are married to each other, were asked to appear before CCB for questioning in the drug racket. Sandeep Patil, the Joint Commissioner, confirmed that notices have been issued to the couple to appear before the CCB. Actor Aindrita tweeted saying that they had received a notice and they would make themselves available for questioning tomorrow at 11 am. “We will be present and fully cooperate with CCB,” the tweet read.

In an unrelated incident, but as a part of the larger sweep against drug peddling across the state, the police in Molkalmuru taluk of Chitradurga district have arrested Rudresh who is said to be the main accused in plantation of Ganja plants which are said to be grown in 4.2 acres of land. The plants have been seized and the accused has been arrested according to Challakere Dy SP K V Sridhar.