Charmme Moves HC Against Proposed Drug Test On Her

The investigations into the drug trafficking case rocking the state took a filmi twist on Monday with actress Charmme Kaur, one among the 12 film personalities served with notices by the SIT, moving the Hyderabad High Court questioning the procedure being adopted by the interrogators in the case.

Charmme, who is to appear before the SIT on July 26, in a surprise move filed a petition in the High Court questioning the legitimacy of the investigating authorities taking the blood samples of those being interrogated in connection with the drug racket busted recently.

In the petition, she alleged that the SIT was taking blood samples under the pretext of it being allowed under Article 20, Sub-Clause 3 of the Constitution. The petition filed by her counsel Vishnuvardhan Reddy wanted that the SIT strictly follow the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court.

In the petition, the actress also wanted that only women officers interrogate women who are being questioned in the matter, and that advocates representing the women being interrogated be allowed to be present during the interrogation.

The High Court admitted the petition for hearing and issued notices to Excise Commissioner Chandravadan and Excise & Enforcement Director Akun Sabharwal. The court is likely to take up the case on Tuesday.

What has come as a surprise is that while the artistes who have appeared before the SIT so far had cooperated and allowed samples of their blood, hair and nails to be collected for being sent to the forensic laboratory to ascertain whether they used narcotic substances, Charmme has decided to take the investigators on.

The actress who had earlier agreed to appear before the SIT for questioning has now clearly taken a sudden U-turn. This in spite of the assurance made by the film fraternity that there would be full cooperation to help the authorities in their efforts to check the vicious activities of the drug mafia that was busted on July 2.

In the meantime, the SIT on the fifth day of its interrogation of film personalities grilled actor Navdeep in the issue to ascertain his links with the kingpin of the drug mafia Calvin Mascarenhas.

Another gang of drug peddlers hailing from Nigeria was also busted by the authorities today.