ED questions Tollywood director Puri Jagannadh in Hyderabad for ten hours

He was reportedly asked to submit financial transactions to find out if there were any discrepancies for the period of 2015 to 2017.
Puri Jagannadh at the ED office
Puri Jagannadh at the ED office
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Hyderabad questioned Tollywood film director Puri Jagannadh for nearly 10 hours on Tuesday in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to a four-year-old drug case from 2017. Reportedly, he was asked to submit the details of his bank statements from three different accounts for the period of 2015 to 2017 to find out if there were any unaccounted fund transfers. Jagannadh, who, along with his chartered accountant, appeared before ED officials after he was summoned in connection with the probe, left the ED office on Tuesday night.

The ED last week issued notices to 10 persons connected to Tollywood and two others including a private club manager as part of a money-laundering probe linked to the drugs racket. Actors Rakul Preet Singh, Rana Daggubati, Ravi Teja, Charmee Kaur, Navdeep, Mumaith Khan, and Jagnnadh have been asked to appear before ED between August 31 and September 22. Tanish, Nandu, and actor Ravi Teja's driver Srinivas are also among those summoned. The questioning is likely to bring to light new facts about the drugs racket which was busted with the arrest of drug peddlers in 2017.

Producer Bandla Ganesh also arrived at the ED office in the evening, triggering speculations that he too was summoned. He, however, clarified that he came to the ED office only to meet his friend Jagannadh but was not allowed. He requested the media not to link him with the case. Before beginning the questioning of Tollywood personalities, the ED gathered details of the investigations conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana's Prohibition and Excise Department.

The questioning by the ED has brought the focus back on the case, which was in cold storage and was even considered dead by many due to the clean chit given by SIT to the film personalities. The drugs racket was busted on July 2, 2017, when customs officials arrested Calvin Mascarenhas, a musician, and two others and seized drugs valued at Rs 30 lakh from their possession.

They had reportedly told the investigators that they are supplying drugs to film celebrities, software engineers, and even students of some corporate schools. Mobile numbers of some Tollywood celebrities were allegedly found in their contact lists.

The Excise Department had constituted SIT for a comprehensive probe. A total of 12 cases were registered, 30 people were arrested, while 62 individuals including 11 people connected with Tollywood were examined by it under Section 67 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Section 161 of Criminal Procedure Code. The SIT has then filed a chargesheet in eight out of 12 cases. It, however, gave a clean chit to the film personalities who were questioned as part of the investigation.

(With IANS inputs)

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