Actor
Rakul Preet Singh on Friday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED)
for questioning in connection with a money laundering probe linked to a
four-year-old drug case.
She
reached the ED office here around 9.10 a.m., an hour before the scheduled time.
The
ED has summoned Rakul for questioning on September 6 but she had sought more
time citing her busy shooting schedule. However, the agency declined to
postpone the questioning and asked her to appear three days before the
scheduled time.
She
is the third Tollywood personality being questioned by the ED. Director Puri
Jagannadh was questioned for nearly 10 hours on Tuesday while actor Charmme
Kaur was quizzed for about eight hours on Thursday.
The
ED officials are questioning the film personalities about the financial
transactions, if any, with those involved in the drugs case.
Both
Puri and Charmme were reportedly questioned about the suspected links with
Calvin Mascarenhas, a key accused in the case.
The
ED last week issued notices to 10 persons connected to Tollywood and two others
including a private club manager as part of a money laundering probe linked to
the drugs racket.
Actors
Rakul Preet Singh, Rana Daggubati, Ravi Teja, Charmme Kaur, Navdeep, Mumaith
Khan and director Puri Jagannath have been asked to appear before ED between
August 31 and September 22.
Tanish,
Nandu, actor Ravi Teja's driver Srinivas are also among those summoned in
connection with the drugs racket which was busted with the arrest of drug
peddlers in 2017.
Rakul
Preet Singh and Rana were not among Tollywood personalities questioned by the
Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana's prohibition and excise
department, which probed the case.
The
drugs racket was busted on July 2, 2017 when customs officials arrested Calvin
Mascarenhas, a musician, and two others and seized drugs worth Rs 30 lakh from
their possession.
They
had reportedly told the investigators that they are supplying drugs to film
celebrities, software engineers, and even students of some corporate schools.
Mobile numbers of some Tollywood celebrities were allegedly found in their
contact lists.
The
excise department had constituted SIT for a comprehensive probe. A total of 12
cases were registered, 30 people were arrested while 62 individuals including
11 people connected with Tollywood were examined by the SIT under section 67 of
the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and section 161 of
Criminal Procedure Code.
The
SIT had collected blood, hair, nail and other samples from some of those who
appeared before it for questioning and sent them for analysis.
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Actors
Ravi Teja, Charmme Kaur, Mumaith Khan, director Puri Jagannath and young actors
Tarun Kumar and P. Navadeep were among the stars who were questioned by the
SIT.
Cinematographer
Shyam K. Naidu, actors Subbaraju, Tanish, Nandu and Ravi Teja's driver Srinivas
were also among those questioned.
The
SIT filed chargesheet in eight out of 12 cases. It, however, gave clean chit to
the film personalities who were questioned as part of the investigation.