The Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Saturday arrested Vibhav Jain, an alleged drug peddler who was organising drug parties for his clients to sell contraband. He had been named as accused no. 5 among the 12 persons named in the FIR.
According to the police, Jain, a resident of Malleshwaram, tried to dodge arrest, stating that he was COVID-19 positive and under home quarantine.
Officials returned after asking him to appear before them for questioning after recovery.
Meanwhile, Jain approached court, seeking anticipatory bail. The CCB officials came to know of Jain’s move, and went to his house and arrested him. He had allegedly supplied drugs to Ravi Shankar, a second division assistant, and actor Ragini Dwivedi through Prateek Shetty, who was arrested by the CCB.
Bengaluru: Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi at the Central Crime Branch office for question in connection with the sandalwood drug scandal, in Bengaluru, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. (PTI Photo) (PTI04-09-2020_000117B)
The police are now questioning Jain to ascertain his clients’ list and his drug business details.
Shetty is related to Ravi Shankar and was linked to Jain and peddled drugs at parties attended by the accused, the police said. Shetty was arrested by the CCB police earlier in 2018 in an NDPS case along with two Nigerian nationals.
The CCB continued to question actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani and other accused to corroborate the technical evidence they have.
5 policemen suspended
In a related incident, five police personnel, including a Circle Inspector, have been placed under suspension pending enquiry for “failing to detect the huge haul of ganja” stocked at a sheep farm in Lakshman Naik Tanda under their limits.
Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police Simi Mariam George held Kalagi Circle Inspector Bhojaraj Rathod, sub-inspector Basavaraj Chittakote, assistant police sub-inspector Neelakantappa Hebbal, and constables Sharanappa and Anil Bhandari responsible for the vigilance lapses.
The Sheshadripuram police in Bengaluru had, without the knowledge of the local police, recently unearthed 1,200 kg of ganja from the farm owned by Chandrakant Chauhan, a native of Kalagi in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka.
Till the Bengaluru police unearthed the haul, the Kalagi police were apparently unaware of the stock, though the farm was closer to their police station.
