Popular baddie in several hit films, Subba Raju, was on Friday questioned for over 11 hours by personnel of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the drug case.
It is understood that he changed his seemingly-tough ‘I don’t know anything’ stance towards the evening and started ‘cooperating’ with investigators who included the head of SIT S. Srinivasa Rao and others. Director-Enforcement (Prohibition & Excise) Dr. Akun Sabharwal, watched the proceedings on a closed circuit television monitor.
On Day Three of the SIT’s grilling that started with director Puri Jagannadh on Wednesday, followed by cinematographer Shyam K Naidu on Thursday, Subba Raju came to the SIT office at 9.40 a.m., clad in a white shirt. He was taken straight to the fifth floor of Abkari Bhavan in Nampally even as the shutter bugs and camera persons tried to get a zoom-lock on him.
The actor known for his negative roles, has several hits to his credit, including the Mahesh Babu-starrer P okiri (2006) and other films including ‘ Amma Nanna O Tamil Ammayi, Arya and S.S. Rajamouli’s blockbuster Bahubali-The Conclusion.
It was not clear till late in the evening if medical tests were conducted on Subba Raju, as was the case with Naidu, unlike Puri Jagannadh, whose blood, hair and nail samples were collected on Wednesday. Investigators said a medical team was on standby only to ensure that nothing went wrong with the health of those being summoned for questioning.
On Friday, it was revealed that investigators adopted a different tack from the two days of experience earlier. “Director Puri was clearly taken by surprise, but once he left the SIT office, we think that most of the 12 people connected with the film industry who were issued notices have been speaking to each other,” said an officer. “On Thursday, we were prepared to break the ‘I do not know’ shield that Naidu put up and which was followed by Subba Raju too, till about 5 p.m., when he opened up,” said another investigator. Till 9.30 p.m., the questioning was going on.
It was as if the 2006 blockbuster Pokiri has come to haunt those involved with it, 11 years later. This was what avid movie buffs appeared to be thinking as the SIT questioning of those connected with the film industry went on.
Consider this: The SIT started with director Puri Jagannadh on Day One, followed by Director of Photography Shyam K. Naidu on Day Two. It was villain Subba Raju on the hot seat on Day Three and the turn of Mumaith Khan, who played the gangster’s moll in the same film is soon to follow!
