A massive drug racket was busted in Hyderabad earlier this month. (Representational)
Highlights
- Top Telugu actors, an art director, a director summoned: sources
- Students from top Hyderabad schools, colleges bought drugs from dealers
- The actors need to appear before investigators between July 19 and 24
Top heroes and heroines from the Telugu film industry are reportedly on the contact list on a mobile phone seized from Calvin Mascarenhas, the alleged kingpin of the
massive drug racket busted earlier this month in Hyderabad. 12 of them have been summoned for questioning by Telangana's excise department next week.
No names have been shared, but, sources said, those summoned include two top heroines, leading heroes, an art director and a famous director. They have been asked to appear before special team investigating the drug racket between July 19 and 24. Officials have said that only after they are questioned will it be clear what their role was, if any.
Actor Navdeep has said he did receive a notice from the excise department to appear before officials. He says he had worked with an event manager for an event and subsequently had stayed in touch to wrap up the formalities for a week or two. That event manager was arrested and therefore his name had cropped up on his phone, Navdeep has said.
"I am not a drug user and I have learnt my lessons on what to keep away from in my own interest and in the interest of my family and friends. I will go and explain why my name and contact was found,'' the Telugu actor said.
Akun Sabharwal, Director of the Telangana State Excise, said, "In the confessional statements, interrogation of peddlers or chats of peddlers with consumers, these names have come out. We have to investigate whether they were users or are using it."
Calvin is among 12 people arrested over the last 10 days in the bust that revealed students of top schools and colleges in the city were using LSD and other drugs that they bought from the dealers.
The 12 arrested had about 1,000 alleged clients, among them the school children, who ordered "high-end" drugs via WhatsApp and other messenger services.Officials that one schoolgirl had even offered a dealer photographs of herself in exchange for drugs.
A new concern has now presented itself before the investigators, officials said. The craving of an addict for LSD or Lysergic Acid Diethylamide is said to return within about 12 days, but no school child revealed to have been using the drug has as yet reported withdrawal symptoms and officials worry they might have access to another source.
Last weekend, two more people were caught with cocaine and officials said they too are suspected to be drug peddlers.