Even as the Telangana Excise Department continues to question Tollywood personalities over the sensational drug racket busted in Hyderabad last month, reports doing the rounds suggest that techies might be next.
The department already has the names of many employees from several IT companies, and the arrest of Dutch national Mike Kamminga, seems to have directed the spotlight on private firms.
Stating that the department has served notices to 13 IT companies, Excise Minister T Padma Rao Goud told media persons, “We will call them for questioning once the officials gather sufficient proof. The government is helping the film industry, not targeting it. The ongoing investigation is being done on the basis of the proof gathered by the department."
“The department is looking into all aspects of the case,” he added.
The Times of India reported that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had identified around 40 software professionals, who were using narcotics.
“I have personally contacted many centre heads of the respective IT companies, whose list has been shared with us by the excise department. Since no employees have been personally named, firms have been asked to maintain strict vigil and monitor all their employees, within the office premises and check or any signs or symptoms of drug usage. If such signs are detected in an employee, we have directed firms to act on it strictly and inform the police," IT secretary Jayesh Ranjan told TOI.
The SIT has arrested 20 accused in the racket, which created a sensation following startling revelations that the peddlers sold drugs to students of several colleges and schools in Hyderabad, Tollywood celebrities and techies.
The case took a new turn on Wednesday as SIT arrested a Dutch national in the case.
Mike Kamminga's arrest was being considered a major breakthrough as he was reportedly supplying the drugs to peddlers from Europe.
SIT said it searches/raids were continuing in different places in the city. It questioned two other persons, identified as Saad Nazir and Mubeen, in the case.
IANS inputs