#Sandalwooddrugscandal: From Akul Balaji to Anushree: Here is why these Kannada TV celebs received summons from the authorities

The ongoing probe against the #sandalwooddrugscandal has cast a dark spell in the Kannada entertainment industry. While only the famous film stars from the Kannada film industry were being interrogated by the officials, the drug scandal also found its route to the small screen actors as well. Many popular Kannada small screen stars are now under the scanner of the biggest mafia in the nation. Here is a detailed report on why these telly stars were called for interrogation. Take a look...

Akul Balaji appeared before Bengaluru CCB on September 19 and faced app seven long hours of investigation. Akul came under the scanner because of his farmhouse that apparently was the venue for many parties where illegal substances were consumed.

Bengaluru CCB issued a summon to the actor-host Aryan after they came across one of the accused's business deal with him. Aryyan, who owns a Villa on the outskirts of Bengaluru, employed Vaibhav Jain, an accused in the case to manage his properties. Speaking to the media after the interrogation, Aaryan said he had major differences with Vaibhav and is here to cooperate with the probe.

Rashimitha became an overnight sensation when her name was linked with the ongoing controversy. She was reportedly interrogated by the ISD. However speaking to Etimes TV, the actress said, "It is the Internal Security Department (ISD) who called us and not the Central crime Branch (CCB). They called me only for investigation and nothing else. I was there last week. Since I worked for a popular channel, the ISD officials asked if I had come across any of the accused in any parties or events. That's it."

Abhishek, after being questioned by ISD for nearly six hours, spoke to the media. He said, "They have called us for inquiry. This is all that is known. I was hurt when news channels flashed news saying there is drug abuse in serials and also spoke about me like an accused already. Such news can be damaging to my career prospects and will also hurt my family and spoil my reputation among my fans and followers."

In an exclusive interview with ETimes TV, Geetha opened up about her 5-hour long questioning by the ISD regarding the #Sandalwooddrugscandal. "What has actually happened here is, the authorities have come across my contact number while interrogating a particular person's call log. Hence they wanted to know if I knew any information about them. They just wanted to get a little information from me and nothing else. Going by the investigation, they pulled out my call history, location details, and my background. I was asked a few questions to which I have answered honestly," avered Geetha.

Investigation of Kannada television's most popular host Anushree was summoned by police for inquiry with regards to the drug case linked to association with Kishore Aman Shetty and Tarun, which was completed in the city on Saturday, September 26. The CCB and cybercrime, economic offenses, and narcotics police station personnel had arrested choreographer Kishore Aman Shetty, and Aqeel Nausheel, in a joint operation. They also had questioned another person, identified as Tarun. During this process, they were told that Anushree had a role in the drugs issue. Therefore, the notice in question was served.