Drugs In Tollywood: Akun Sabharwal Cancels Leave

Director of Excise Enforcement Akun Sabharwal, IAS, who was supposed to have gone on leave from Saturday, cancelled his leave today.

Sabharwal's leave was sanctioned till July 25 from today, and his announcing that he was proceeding on leave despite the fact that investigations by the SIT in the drug racket had reached a crucial stage with the involvement of Tollywood artistes coming to light surprised many.

The SIT had even issued notices to as many as 12 film artistes, including Puri Jagannadh, Charmmee, Ravi Teja, Subbaraju, Navdeep, Tarun and Shyam K Naidu, to appear in person at its office for it to record their statements in connection with their alleged involvement in the drug racket, creating tremors in the Telugu film industry.

It therefore came as a surprise when Sabharwal announced about going on leave from today for "personal reasons". That did not cut much ice with the citizens and even political circles. Speculations began to float as to what prompted an upright officer to suddenly go on leave, that too when the investigations into a prominent scandal involving his department had reached a crucial stage. Congress and TDP leaders began suspecting that Sabharwal was forced to go on leave due to political compulsions and pressure.

With his choosing to go on leave thus assuming political overtones and creating doubts in the minds of the public, Sabharwal seems to have chosen to cancel it.

Meanwhile, the SIT has taken Calvin Mascarenhas, the kingpin of the drug mafia, and two others arrested with him into its custody for two days from the Charlapalli jail. It was based on the call data on Calvin's mobile that the SIT stumbled upon the alleged involvement of the film personalities, and the SIT seems to be determined to gather more information from Calvin and his two associates by interrogating them further during the next two days, and based on the new evidence, issue notices to some more film artistes. This has created fresh fear in the Tollywood, especially since Sabharwal has now cancelled his leave and chosen to be at the helm of the investigations.

A second list of film personalities seems to have already been prepared by SIT. After gathering more information from Calvin and with credible evidence, the fresh notices are likely to be issued.

SIT officials made it clear that all the 12 artistes who were served notices till now needed to appear in person, and failing to would entail severe punishment. It is learnt that if it is proved that anyone among those served notices was indeed using drugs, they would be sentenced to a minimum of six months in jail.