The Special Investigation Team ( SIT ) of Excise and Prohibition Enforcement Directorate continued its interrogation of Tollywood artistes for the second day today in connection with the drug racket.
Cinematographer Shyam K Naidu, who is among the dozen film industry personalities served with notices in the wake of arrest of drug peddlers recently, appeared before the SIT Officials this morning along with his legal counsel.
Besides being in the film filed as a cinematographer, Shyam Naidu is stated to be also a close friend of Director Puri Jagannadh who was grilled for nearly 12 hours on Wednesday. A videographer and a doctor were present while he was questioned by the officials. During the course of questioning, the investigators also collected blood and hair samples of Puri Jagannadh. The samples were sent to TS Forensic Science Laboratory.
It might be mentioned here that leading personalities of the tinsel town came under the SIT radar following information gathered from the call data of the mobile phone of Calvin Mascarenhas. Thus the investigating officers during the course of questioning the film artistes tried to ascertain their association with Calvin, the kin pin of the drug mafia. Also they were grilled as to whether besides being using the drugs were also peddling it others in the industry.
Even in Shyam Naidu’s case, the SIT officials are expected to adopt the same line of questioning as was in the case of Puri Jagannadh.
Apart from trying to find out the link between the artistes and the drug peddlers, the SIT seemed to be also keen on digging out information regarding the modus operandi in the procurement of the drugs and also the method used in smuggling them into the city from out side the states well as the country. (NSS).