The Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths on Tuesday raided several properties in Bengaluru and Bidadi belonging to Ricky Rai, son of the late Muthappa Rai in connection with the Sandalwood drug case. Muthappa Rai was once at the helm of the underworld in Bengaluru and had claimed to have reformed.
CCB sources told TNM that Ricky Rai’s name cropped up in the drug case as he had been in touch with Aditya Alva, Vivek Oberoi’s brother-in-law, who is currently absconding.
The CCB, which had procured call record details of Ricky Rai allegedly found that he had been in touch with Aditya Alva and other accused persons who are absconding in the case.
“We questioned him to find out if he played any role in Aditya Alva’s disappearance. Whether he aided Alva in escaping,” the CCB source said.
Investigators say that Ricky Rai allegedly attended parties hosted by Aditya Alva at his resort in Bengaluru’s Hebbal.
The CCB conducted search and seizure operations at various properties belonging to Ricky Rai across the state.
He was summoned for questioning for a few hours and was allowed to leave, a CCB official said.
Police said that the raids were conducted at Rai's farmhouse in Bidadi in Ramanagara district and his house in Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru.
The case pertains to drug use and distribution allegedly among bigwigs including Kannada film actors Ragini Dwivedi, Sanjjanaa Galrani, party promoter Viren Khanna and realtor Rahul Thonse.
A few key accused in the case, including former minister late Jeevaraj Alva's son Aditya Alva are at large.
So far, the CCB has electronic evidence against the actors. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate is probing a money laundering case against the accused persons in the Sandalwood drug case. The ED sources said that the actors had assets worth more than they could have procured based on their income. The ED told the NDPS court in Bengaluru that it suspects the accused funnelled money procured by distribution of drugs.