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Celebrity drug bust: A failed exercise

After months of drama, it is likely the Tollywood celebrities suspected of using drugs may walk away scot-free.

It’s been nearly three months since a drug scandal rocked Tollywood. After the revelations made by drug dealer Calvin Mascarenhas that he supplied drugs like MDMA and LSD to celebrities and students, the excise department had started a crackdown. It issued notices to a dozen film personalities and summoned them for investigation. During questioning, the sleuths even took their blood, nail and hair samples for investigation. Now, as the suspense continues over whether or not celebrities including Pokiri director Puri Jagannadh and actress Charmee Kaur were using drugs, the investigations are being slowed down by one hurdle after the other.

The first of which is the absence of control samples required to carry out the analysis. Sources tell us that after collecting the samples of Tollywood bigwigs, the excise department officials handed them over to the Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory, which has been entrusted with the task of conducting tests.

“This is the first time in the country that samples for suspected LSD use were being analysed. But for this, we need control samples, which are not available in India,” they said. In simple words, it means that investigators would need an original LSD sample to compare with the samples taken from these celebrities. “Without control samples, scientific results will yield false positives,” they said.

Not only control samples, the sleuths also need certain chemicals — at least four types — to conduct the tests, which again, have to be procured from foreign countries. The sleuths got in touch with officials of Delhi-based Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation through which they are said to have received details about agents who could assist in procuring control samples and other chemicals required for the test. The officials are understood to have gotten in touch with one particular agent, based in Chennai, who is assisting them in getting control samples from abroad, possibly Vienna.

Puri JagannadhPuri Jagannadh

“These chemicals too have to come from abroad. Procuring these (both control sample and chemicals) involves expenditure of a few lakhs. But it is being done,” sources insisted, adding that chemicals may have to be acquired from the US, which is a cumbersome process. Those in the know say the process is bound to take a long time and the probe could go into cold storage. And the worst case scenario is that it may never be known whether Tollywood was indeed getting high.

 Mumaith Khan Mumaith Khan

“Normally, blood samples may not yield anything as LSD effects disappear after eight hours of usage. We are banking upon the nail samples, in which LSD traces remain for as long as six months. But if procuring control samples and chemicals required for analysis takes a long time, then the chances of nailing the users are nil,” said a source in the Narcotics Control Bureau, adding that nearly three months have passed since the sample has been taken.

Charmee KaurCharmee Kaur

Certain experts in the drug investigation field are skeptical about the progress of the probe. “Procuring control sample and chemicals for analysis involves a lengthy procedure as it has to come from foreign countries. We can never say for sure whether it will come. No agency in India has ever conducted tests for LSD use. These should have been kept in mind before taking the samples,” a Delhi official said.

Those who were summoned for questioning include Puri Jagannadh, Charmee Kaur, Mumaith Khan, Ravi Teja, Navdeep, Tarun, Nandu, Tanish, Subba Raju, Shyam K. Naidu and Chinna.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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