Crack down on drugs misuse: Telangana CM

With the drugs problem threatening to spill over from the confines of Tollywood and turn into a full blown crisis, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao convened a top-level meeting on Sunday. Post deliberations, the CM gave the ‘green signal’ to crack down and take stringent action on those found guilty to control the situation before it goes out of hand.

“There is supply and use of drugs in Hyderabad for several years now due to the indifferent attitude of the previous governments. Had they taken stringent measures, the situation would have been different now. There is an urgent need to protect Hyderabad’s brand image,” Rao told officials.

Hyderabad is Telangana’s lifeline. This anarchy should be eradicated from the city. “Dig out the entire details on the case, don’t leave anyone. Punish the guilty. Change Hyderabad into a drug-free city,” KCR instructed the officers who included police, excise, medical & health, enforcement and CMO.

As speculation of involvement of popular stars, politicians and celebrities was growing and the Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) government facing the heat, the CM reportedly asked Akun Sabharwal, Enforcement Director (whose department busted the illegal drug and narcotic links) to cancel his 10-day leave and see the investigation to the logical conclusion.

KCR told officials, “In this shady business, don’t leave anyone. Any politician, even if there is a Cabinet Minister involved in this crime, book cases against him.”

Coming as it is in close succession to the land scam involving prime land, corporates and politicians in the Cyberabad and fast-growing outskirts of Hyderabad, the drugs and narcotics issue could further mar the image of the city, which is one of the top destinations for investments.

For the past one week, the State capital has been rocked by revelations of top stars from Tollywood being involved in the drug consumption and illegal trade. The police had arrested three persons, including one key operator known as Kelvin. After tracking, and decoding messages from WhatsApp, telephone and Internet, the Excise and Enforcement Directorate stumbled upon a widening network.

The CM narrated to the top officials, “Recently, I came to know that saline is mixed in the blood that is transfused to the patients. I felt very bad. This is a heinous crime and the guilty should be punished with deterrent punishment. Modify the Acts to give these culprits life imprisonment. If need be, bring in changes and amendment to the existing Acts,” an official release stated.

Claiming that the government has controlled illicit liquor trade, playing cards, protect women and anti-social activities in the last three years, KCR asked officials to work with the same spirit and not to sleep till the drugs and adulteration eradicated are from the State.

The State DGP, Anurag Sharma, said 56 teams are working on the spurious seeds issue and 14 on adulteration of food items. As far as spurious seeds are concerned, so far, 77 cases were booked and 72 persons were arrested. For food adulteration, 340 cases were booked and 562 were arrested.

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