"We have arrested Ragini to investigate her alleged involvement in the use of banned drugs and her links with drug peddlers after questioning her day-long," Bengaluru Joint Commissioner of Police Sandeep Patil told reporters here.
Earlier on Friday, seven CCB sleuths, including a woman police inspector, raided her flat at Yelahanka in the city's northern suburb with a search warrant from a local court to find out if banned drugs were kept in her house.
"Ragini will be produced before a magistrate after medical check-up for her custodial interrogation into her use of narcotic substances at rave parties in the city over the months," said Patil.
"We have booked Ragini under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act," CCB assistant commissioner of police K.P. Gowtham told IANS.
In a related development, the CCB also arrested in New Delhi Viren Khanna, an accused in the drugs case for organising parties for celebrities.
"Khanna is being flown to Bengaluru from Delhi by our inspectors Sridhar Pujar and Lakshmikantiah," said Patil.
With the arrest of drug peddlers Ravi Shankar on Thursday and Rahul Shetty on Friday, the CCB has taken 4 persons into custody in connection with the abuse of banned drugs like marijuana, cannabis, cocaine and hashish at rave parties of celebrities, including actors of Sandalwood as the Kannada film industry is also known.
Ragini, 30, entered the film industry with her debut movie 'Veera Madakari' in 2009 and gained popularity for her stellar role in films like Kempe Gowda, Ragini IPS, Bangari and Shiva.
(IANS)
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The ED in its petition stated that the accused persons have to be interrogated for their alleged involvement in a money laundering case pertaining to the drug racket in the Kannada film industry.
The infamous drugs case is popularly known as Sandalwood drugs case, in which high profile party organisers, foreign nationals as well as film stars have been booked.
Noted actresses Ragini and Sanjjanaa have been in judicial custody for the last two weeks.
The ED in its petition demanded that it wants to interrogate Ragini, Sanjjanaa, party organisers -- Viren Khanna and Rahul Tonshe -- besides second division clerk in Regional Transport Office (RTO) and Ragini's close friend Ravi Shankar.
The ED contended that the nature of this case is such that the prima facie charges booked against these accused persons could also attract several sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The ED also added that they had been probing the case since September 9 hence they needed to interrogate accused persons in this connection.
Hearing the petition, the special court granted a five-day custody of the accused to the ED.
(IANS)
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The hearing on bail for these actresses as well as other accused in the case was adjourned till September 30. The NDPS court also rejected the anticipatory bail applications filed by two accused in the case, Vinay Kumar and Shiva Prakash, who evaded arrest until now.
The Central Crime Branch police are also on the lookout for actor Vivek Oberoi's brother-in-law, Aditya Alva, who has been named in the case.
The CCB has so far arrested high-profile party planner Viren Khanna, alleged drug peddlers Loum Pepper Samba, Rahul Tonse, Prashanth Ranka and Niyaz in connection with the case.
Other than the probe by the CCB, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also conducting a parallel probe into the alleged money trail involved in this entire case involving two actors along with other co-accused on charges of money laundering.
The ED has already got permission from the First Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Thursday that had granted permission to probe the charges.
Among others, the ED is expected to question Viren Khanna, Sanjjana's friend and real estate businessman Rahul Tonse, and Ragini's associate B.K. Ravi Shankar who is among the arrested in connection with the same case.
Actor Ragini Dwivedi who had initially skipped summons by the CCB police on September 3 was arrested the next day for allegedly not cooperating with investigation officials, following raids at her residence. Sanjjanaa Galrani, who was also subsequently raided in connection with the same case, was arrested on September 8.
After a brief period in police custody, they were sent to judicial custody on September 14.
(IANS)
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