After being summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as a part of their ongoing money laundering probe in connection with a drug racket busted in 2017, ‘Baahubali’ actor Rana Daggubati appeared for questioning on Wednesday.
According to reports Rana Daggubati was grilled for seven hours by the ED.
He is the fifth film star from Tollywood to appear before ED after director Puri Jagannadh, actors Charmee Kaur, Nandu and Rakul Preet Singh. They have been appearing before the ED for questioning since August 31.
According to a report, Daggubatti even carried his laptop, to reveal his financial history and tried to prove he has no connection to the drug peddlars arrested by the police.
On July 2, 2017 the Telangana's Prohibition and Excise department, had busted a drug racket by arresting a three-member gang including Calvin Mascrenhas, a musician, for allegedly peddling narcotic drugs such as LSD and MDMA.
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Subsequently, several cases related to the drug trafficking were registered and over 20 people were arrested.
According to officials, the gang's clientele included nearly 1,000 customers including students of city-based schools and colleges, people associated with Tollywood, senior officials of MNCs and employees of IT firms.
The names of some Tollywood personalities surfaced during the interrogation of persons arrested in connection with the drug bust.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana's Prohibition and Excise department, as part of its investigation had also probed the alleged drug-links with Tollywood, and had then questioned 11 people connected to the Telugu film industry including actors and directors besides the driver of one of the actor and had also collected hair and nail samples.
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The SIT quizzed them to ascertain if they had any links with the racket as consumers or suppliers, or with those arrested.
Chargesheets were also filed in connection with the cases, but none of the Tollywood personalities were chargesheeted.
The ED summoned the Tollywood personalities who were among those questioned by SIT and some others also and they were asked to appear before it.
However, Rana was not questioned by SIT at that time.
(With Inputs From PTI)
