Rich kids doing drugs get away as stars get busted

HYDERABAD: Once in a while, Tollywood actors or people connected with players in the film industry may be nabbed by cops for cocaine consumption. But with cases never coming to a logical conclusion, the public at large never comes to know how widespread this drug snorting habit has become in the city.
Among those who are hooked to drugs are not only some young Tollywood celebrities but also the children of the high and mighty in the city.This may be the reason, say analysts, why cops are unable to fully investigate and expose the drug nexus in the city. "Yes. Drug snorting habit is on the rise in the city. Tollywood's name is often flashed because of the high profile nature of the industry. Equally pernicious is the consumption among the rich. We have to cut off the supply lines," a senior police officer confided to TOI.
After yet another drug bust on Friday in which Nigerian James Egems alias Fredrick and doctor Siddharth were arrested for possessing 25 grams of cocaine from Mehdipatnam in the city, the police found that the Nigerian is Bangalore-based. Cops suspected him to be one of the major peddlers supplying the drug to many city bigwigs. "We have sought the details of his mobile phone records from the private provider in Bangalore. Once we get that, we will be able to establish as to how many Tollywood film personalities, including heros and heroines have been procuring the drugs from him," Langer Houz inspector G Sridhar told TOI on Saturday.
But that has been the familiar refrain from cops after every drug bust in recent times that pointed to the involvement of Tollywood in the drug racket. In fact, soon after the arrest of film star Ravi Teja's brother Raghu Babu and his friend Bharat with a few bags of cocaine in August last year, Hyderabad police commissioner A K Khan said that the initial investigations and the examination of the mobile phone records of the arrested persons had hinted that quite a few film celebrities are into consuming hard drugs. But till date, none of the bigwigs have been exposed.
According to film industry sources, the brother of a well-known producer is known to take drugs. However, so far, he has evaded the police dragnet. Producer K V Rao was also arrested in a drugs-related case last year. "Intake of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin is a common thing in the Telugu film industry. Everyone is aware of who takes drugs but since nobody has a problem with that, there are no complaints," a film industry source said.
But while admitting that many in the Telugu film industry indulge in hard drugs, film personalities frown at why fingers are pointed only at their industry when children of several politicians, IAS and IPS officers, and top businessmen are habituated to getting high on these drugs. "If the cops have proof of the involvement of Tollywood personalities in the drug business, why have their names not been exposed by the police? And why were they not arrested? There may also be children of IAS and IPS officers as well as those of political leaders taking drugs. Arrest all abusers," said Natti Kumar, film producer and office-bearer of the Telugu Film Producers' Council.
After Friday's arrest, the police have said they are investigating the involvement of Tollywood actor Varun Sandesh in the drug racket. "Siddharth confessed that Varun has come to his Ashok Nagar residence at least four times and got high on cocaine. But he later denied it. After going through the phone records of Siddharth and Sandesh, we will interrogate the actor though he is denying being in the habit of taking cocaine and knowing Siddharth as well. We have sought the permission of the court to subject Sandesh to a polygraph test and then the matter will come up before the court on Tuesday," said police sources.
Both Siddharth and Fredrick, who spent the night in police lock-up in Langer Houz, were produced before the court on Saturday where they were remanded to judicial custody for 14 days and sent to Cherlapalli jail. Siddharth, who appeared dismayed over the drug bust, was kept on suicide watch by the police on Friday night and a constable posted as his shadow. Fredrick's legal status in the country has still not been established as he has been claiming that his passport and relevant papers have been submitted for visa extension, a claim that the cops are still verifying.
Like the Hyderabad police commissioner in August last year, the city police said on Saturday that three teams have been constituted to probe the Tollywood-drugs links. But will it ever be established?