HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned 10 Tollywood actors and directors in connection with the money laundering case related to drug trafficking and consumption that was initially busted in 2017.
The ED summoned top Telugu film director Puri Jagannath on August 31. Actors Rakul Preet Singh, Bahubali fame Rana Daggubati, Ravi Teja, Charmee Kaur, Navdeep, Mumaith Khan, Tanish, Nandu, and Tarun also have been summoned along with Ravi Teja’s driver Srinivas and an unidentified person working as a general manager of ‘F Club’.
They have been asked to remain present before ED between September 2 and 22.
Rakul Preet was asked to appear on September 6, Rana on September 8, Ravi Teja on September 9 and Mumaith Khan on September 15.
An ED official said 12 cases were booked by Telangana excise and prohibition department and 11 chargesheets were filed. “Eight drug traffickers were chargesheeted in the cases then. Most of them are lower-level drug traffickers. Tollywood celebrities will be considered as witnesses for now. Their names have figured in the investigation,” he said.
The ED also summoned excise department sleuths who investigated the case. The special investigation team (SIT) of the excise department had not proceeded against the actors due to lack of evidence then though they were questioned. They were believed to have been given a clean chit then as no chargesheet was filed against them.
SIT in July 2017 collected hair and nail samples of 62 suspects, but did not reveal much afterwards.
One of the chargsheets was filed against South African national Rafael Alex Victor for allegedly trafficking cocaine from Mumbai to Hyderabad and for selling it in Hyderabad. Rafael was arrested in August 2017. In a majority of the cases, African nationals, who were lower-rung traffickers, were chargesheeted.
When SIT questioned the accused actors, they denied their role in the drugs case. Navdeep and Tarun denied their role.
