Kannada Actress Ragini Dwivedi Detained by Central Crime Branch in Drugs Case

Central Crime Branch (CCB) have raided the house of actress Ragini Dwivedi in connection with drug peddling. CCB police armed with search warrant from the court went to Ragini’s residence at Judicial layout, Yalahanka, Bengaluru, with woman police inspector and raided the home.

Now, Ragini has been detained by the CCB after search concluded at her premises.

Ragini’s friend Ravi Shankar was interrogated and arrested by police on Thursday on charges of drug supply. There was allegation that drug racket is rampant in Kannada film industry and also many influential people were involved in it.

According to sources, Ravi is an official in the state Regional Transport Office (RTO) at Jayanagar in the city’s upscale suburb. “Ravi is learnt to have attended rave parties with Ragini where drugs like marijuana (ganja), cocaine and hashish were used,” said a source.

City police have began a crack down since Monday after noted Kannada film producer Indrajit Lankesh alleged that about a dozen Sandalwood actors were into drugs and there was a nexus between them and drug mafias.

Ragini, 30, who is the first Kannada film actor to be summoned by the CCB after Indrajit on August 29, alleged that actors and musicians were involved in consuming banned drugs during shooting sessions and at rave parties organised by various stakeholders.

Indrajit’s startling revelations about the rampant abuse of banned drugs in the multi-crore film industry came three days after the Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) busted a drug trafficking racket in the city and arrested former Kannada television actress D Anikha and two of her accomplices, R Ravindran and M Anoop, on August 26.

The central agency also seized huge cache of drugs from the accused, including 145 ecstasies or MDMA pills and Rs 2.2 lakh in cash from the Royal Suites Hotel Apartment in the city’s northeast suburb on August 21 and more pills in a follow-up raid last week.

The drug racket is suspected to supply recreational and party drugs to Sandalwood actors, children of VIPs, students and others.

“Noted musicians and actors in the Kannada film industry are under the scanner after their links to drugs came to light,” an NCB official had said earlier.

(With IANS inputs)