Hyderabad: Telangana High Court on Friday issued orders prohibiting any coercive action until Tuesday against actor Navdeep Pallapolu after the latter filed an anticipatory bail application.
Navdeep was caught in connection with Crime No. 120 of 2023, registered at the Gudimalkapur police station in Hyderabad, for alleged violations of the NDPS Act.
His legal representative informed the court that the actor learned of his alleged involvement in the crime through media reports.
Counsel said that Navdeep’s name and photographs were prominently displayed in the media reports identifying him as an accused in the case.
Counsel further brought the attention of the court that despite Navdeep being present in Hyderabad, the police wrongly labelled him as absconding.
“The misinformation was further disseminated by the media,” argued the actor’s counsel adding that Navdeep was innocent of the charges and was unjustly implicated.
It was further asserted that there are no specific allegations against the petitioner, and he is not connected to the alleged crime.
“There is a lack of material evidence or corroborating evidence linking him to the case,” counsel said.
Case so far
Eight people, including the son of a former MP and a film director, were arrested by the Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB) Thursday, while the police seized 50 grams of MDMA, 24 ecstasy pills, and eight grams of cocaine from them.
Hyderabad police commissioner and TSNAB director C V Anand said that the arrested include Devarakonda Suresh Rao who is the son of former MP D Vittal Rao, film director Anugu Sushanth Reddy and Nigerian peddlers Amobi Chukwudi Muonagolu, Igbawre Micheal, and Thomas Anaga Kalu.
Tollywood actor Navdeep and film producer Ravi Uppalapati were among those identified as absconding.
The police then issued summons to the makers of the recently released Telugu film ‘Baby’ for outright portrayal of drug abuse and its glorification.
Meanwhile, contradicting the police’s version, actor Navdeep responded to the development and posted on X saying, “That’s not me gentlemen. I’m right here… Pls clarify thanks.”
Navdeep was among the Tollywood celebrities questioned by the Special Investigation Team of the state Excise and Prohibition Department in connection with a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2017.
The action came as the TSNAB and the city’s Gudimalkapur police were acting upon leads obtained from investigations into recent cases of drug peddling through organised parties.
Anand said that the owners of a few pubs were also among the accused who are on the run, and the police are on the lookout for them.
He said a special room was provided at Snort Pub and Terra Cafe and Bistro for customers who wanted to take drugs.
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