Kannada film actress Ragini arrested in B'luru drugs case

The Karnataka Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested actress Ragini Dwivedi for alleged use of banned drugs in the Kannada film industry, police said on Friday.

"We have arrested Ragini to investigate her alleged involvement in the use of banned drugs and her links with drug peddlers after questioning her day-long," Bengaluru Joint Commissioner of Police Sandeep Patil told reporters here.

Earlier on Friday, seven CCB sleuths, including a woman police inspector, raided her flat at Yelahanka in the city's northern suburb with a search warrant from a local court to find out if banned drugs were kept in her house.

"Ragini will be produced before a magistrate after medical check-up for her custodial interrogation into her use of narcotic substances at rave parties in the city over the months," said Patil.

"We have booked Ragini under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act," CCB assistant commissioner of police K.P. Gowtham told IANS.

In a related development, the CCB also arrested in New Delhi Viren Khanna, an accused in the drugs case for organising parties for celebrities.

"Khanna is being flown to Bengaluru from Delhi by our inspectors Sridhar Pujar and Lakshmikantiah," said Patil.

With the arrest of drug peddlers Ravi Shankar on Thursday and Rahul Shetty on Friday, the CCB has taken 4 persons into custody in connection with the abuse of banned drugs like marijuana, cannabis, cocaine and hashish at rave parties of celebrities, including actors of Sandalwood as the Kannada film industry is also known.

Ragini, 30, entered the film industry with her debut movie 'Veera Madakari' in 2009 and gained popularity for her stellar role in films like Kempe Gowda, Ragini IPS, Bangari and Shiva.

Bengaluru: Actress Ragini Dwivedi arrives to appear before the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in connection with a probe into the alleged drug links in the Kannada film industry, in Bengaluru on Sep 4, 2020. The CCB questioned the actress about the alleged drug links in the Kannada film industry and if she too was an addict, a police official said on Friday. Ragini, 30, drove to the CCB office following a summons hours after its sleuths searched her posh flat in the city

Tags: Cinema, Showbiz