Drug Racket: Vivek Oberoi’s brother in law among 12 accused

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Drug Racket: Vivek Oberoi's brother in law among 12 accused

Bengaluru: A close scrutiny of those arrested in connection with the drug case shows that big names were involved, including real estate developer Aditya Alva, son of late Janata Dal minister Jeevaraj Alva and brother-in-law of Bollywood actor, Vivek Oberoi.

Aditya is one among the 12 accused against whom an FIR has been filed even as actor Ragini Dwivedi, who was arrested yesterday, spent the night at the state-run women’s home in NIMHANS where she is being questioned by a team of women police officers led by officer Anjumala.

 Ragini told investigators that she only attended the parties and did not consume drugs. “We found cigars at her residence, which have been sent for examination to the FSL. So far, we have compiled a list of actors, businessmen and others in the film industry, who will be issued summons for questioning,” the CCB source was quoted in the media.

Drug Racket: Kannada Actor Ragini Dwivedi Arrested
Drug Racket: Kannada Actor Ragini Dwivedi Arrested

The entire case came to light after the Narcotics Control Bureau received a tip-off in August this year that the 204 kg of marijuana, which was to arrive in Bengaluru from Andhra Pradesh, belonged to an associate of a politician in Karnataka. “The person who tipped us also said that the politician wanted to expose the drug abuse in the film industry. We are still investigating the connection,” a senior CCB source said.

Even as the Central Crime Bureau was trying to solve the drug case, the Narcotics Control Bureau in late August, arrested Anikha D and seized MDMA pills from her residence. NCB had allegedly found Ragini Dwivedi’s name on her list of contacts in the mobile phone, which was retrieved from Anikha.

As police continue are into the case, home department officials in Karnataka said cocaine use has doubled in the past five years with an expanded clientele. “Bengaluru is now a new transit point in the drug’s route to South Asian countries,” a senior police officer was quoted in the media.

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Police say that the peddlers communicated with each other in code language to avoid coming under police radar. For example, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) was referred to as Pink Punisher, ecstasy pills as Hello Kitty and cocaine as an energy drink.

Meanwhile, continuing their crackdown against drug peddlers, police have arrested 18 men, including a computer science graduate from the United Kingdom, and recovered hashish oil and ganja from them.

Sleuths from CCB arrested three suspects: A Subramani Nayar, 26, V Vidus, 31, and Shijin Mathew, 21, residents of Bengaluru. All of them hail from Kerala. Two kg of hashish oil worth Rs 44 lakh was seized from the trio.

Vidus is a computer science graduate from Bedfordshire, England and is currently working with a private firm in Whitefield as a computer engineer, police said. Shijin is a hotel management student, while Nayar is a private company employee.