Drug case: 'Special Investigation Team' set to grill Tollywood stars

Hyderabad: The Enforcement wing of the Excise and Prohibition department will on Wednesday begin to call in a dozen Tollywood personalities for interrogation over drug abuse. They will face a Special Investigation Team constituted for this case.

Excise and Prohibition commissioner R.V. Chandravadan told this newspaper that the film stars who got notices should not worry about the investigation process, assuring them that the officials will act within the law.

“The SIT will question them within the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India. The director of Enforcement Dr. Akun Sabharwal will supervise the process. The SIT will question film personalities from Wednesday to August 2. The interrogation process will be in a friendly atmosphere. The entire process will be transparent,” he said.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had earlier said the investigators have a free hand and that no one was to be spared. He had also cancelled Dr. Sabharwal’s leave, asking him to stay focused on the case.

Sources said the SIT was ready with a questionnaire. “The SIT questionnaires have between 50 and 100 questions, based on the evidences collected so far about each individual. Those called in will be quizzed in three phases by different officers,” the sources said.

While they will ask them about their own drug habits, the key questions that the officials will want answers to are about Calvin, the man suspected to have been the supplier, on whose phone the investigating officials found the names of all these Tollywood stars, directors and others from the industry.