Sandalwood drug case: Actor-couple Aindrita Ray, Diganth Manchale summoned by Bengaluru Crime Branch

Sandalwood Drug Case: Kannada actors Aindrita Ray and Diganth has been summoned by CCB police for questioning as part of an ongoing police investigation into the use of drugs by celebrities in Kannada film industry. @IndianExpress @ieEntertainment pic.twitter.com/QNL67Bwn9D

— Darshan Devaiah B P (@DarshanDevaiahB) September 15, 2020

According to CCB, cases have been registered against 15 people so far in this connection and nine people have been arrested including Kannada film actress Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani.

Diganth made his acting debut in a Kannada movie ‘Miss California’ in 2006 and acted in movies such as Gaalipata, Pancharangi, Lifeu Ishtene and Parijatha. Aindrita made her acting debut in 2007, starring in Meravanige. The couple got married in December 2018 after 10 years of courtship.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, CCB police team raided the residence of Aditya Alva, son of former Karnataka minister late Jeevaraj Alva and the brother-in-law of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, in connection with the Sandalwood drug case.

Read | Drugs case: Police custody of Kannada actors Ragini Dwivedi, Sanjjana Galrani extended till Sep 14

Aditya Alva is among the 12 accused in the Sandalwood drug scandal which is investigated by the CCB police. According to CCB police, Aditya is accused number six and has been absconding ever since the police started probing the drug case.

Ragini Dwivedi who was arrested last week was remanded to judicial custody till September 28 in the drugs case by a court in Bengaluru. Ragini was shifted to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in the city. On Monday the court extended the police custody of actress Sanjjanaa Galrani who was also arrested in the drug case by CCB police.

The CCB intensified its investigation into a drug haul in Bengaluru after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested three persons from the city, who were allegedly supplying drugs to singers and actors in the Kannada film industry, also known as “Sandalwood”.

Filmmaker and journalist Indrajit Lankesh recently gave his statement in this regard to the CCB. He claimed that at least 15 people in the industry were involved in the drug trade.