Drug probe: Sleuths quiz Cong leader in Hubballi

Gadigeppa who allegedly went on Goa trip with Ragini asked about his links with actor

CCB sleuths on Sunday questioned a Congress leader in Hubballi for over three hours in connection with the drug abuse case in Sandalwood after his name cropped up during the investigation.

The officials had sent a team to Hubballi to question Girish Gadigeppa at his residence and record his statement. According to sources, Gadigeppa’s name had cropped up during the investigation with an accused and they had also found his photographs with actor Ragini Dwivedi. He had allegedly accompanied the actor on a trip to Goa and the police suspect he has links with her dealings which would help their investigation.

The officials also on Sunday took actors Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) office in Madiwala where the officials questioned them for over three hours in connection with the messages and contacts retrieved from their mobile phones.

The police had obtained several photographs of the accused along with celebrities in various fields and the police are still verifying everyone’s background to ascertain their involvement in the drug racket. The officials continued to question the rest of the accused at the CCB head quarters as their custody will be ending on Monday.

CCB inspector Anjumala and other officials brought Dwivedi and Galrani back to the state home for women where the two are currently housed.

The families of Dwivedi and the other accused have applied for bail the hearing for which was moved to Monday. Galrani has not yet applied for bail. The officials are doing the paperwork as they are planning to extend Sanjjanaa and Viren’s custody further while the police are seeking judicial custody for the rest of the accused, including Ragini.

We have decided to give instructions to police in border districts for stricter measures against drugs coming from inter-state borders ­–Basavaraj Bommai

‘Next week crucial’

Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the coming week is going to be crucial in the government’s crackdown against drug peddling and substance abuse, as it will take certain key decisions by strengthening agencies and laws to fight the menace.

He said the intelligence department will also be involved in a big way, while the Central Crime Branch (CCB) will be further strengthened. “We have decided to further strengthen the crackdown against drugs and narcotic substances. The coming week is crucial, as we have decided to give instructions to police in border districts for more stricter measures against drugs coming into the state from inter-state borders,“ Bommai said.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that linking politicians to a case based on a photo with the accused was an unhealthy trend. Speaking to reporters after releasing a booklet ‘Farmers Security, Country’s Security’ authored by Justice Nagmohan Das, he added that there was no way to know the history of everyone participating in random ceremonies.

“Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has to realise that he cannot cover up his government’s failures behind this (drug mafia). He will have to answer for the failures as the opposition party will surely make him answer during the forthcoming Legislature session that will commence from September 21,” he said.