Kannada actors Akul, Santosh, ex-corporator Yuvaraj grilled in drugs case

Kannada actor Santosh Kumar speaks to reportes after being questioned by the CCB in the Sandalwood drugs scandal on Saturday. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

Former BBMP corporator R V Yuvaraj leaves the CCB headquarters after being questioned in the drugs scandal in in Bengaluru on Saturday. DH PHOTO

Kannada actors Akul Balaji, Santosh Kumar and former corporator R V Yuvaraj were questioned by the CCB for over seven hours in the Sandalwood drugs scandal on Saturday.

The trio was questioned separately by inspectors Prashanth, Puneeth Kumar and Anjumala T Nayak from 10.10 am to 5.45 pm, with a break for lunch when they were allowed to meet. Yuvaraj arrived at the CCB office around 9 am, an hour before the time mentioned in the notice. Balaji and Kumar arrived on time.

Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), who supervised the interrogation at the CCB headquarters for a few hours, said the trio was questioned in the light of “available evidence”. The information will be analysed and necessary action will be taken, he told reporters.

The CCB seized their mobile phones as well as some documents and sent them back, with instructions that they should appear for questioning whenever summoned, a senior police officer said.

A senior officer said some of the answers given by the three weren’t satisfactory and that they were likely to be summoned again. “We have seized their phones and we’ll check them for evidence if any. They have named many people who attended drug parties. We may also summon them for questioning,” the officer added.

Balaji and Kumar addressed the reporters before and after the questioning but Yuvaraj was reticent.

Before the questioning, Kumar confirmed to reporters that he had rented his villa near Devanahalli to Vaibhav Jain, a Malleswaram jeweler who’s been arrested in the drugs saga. Jain is believed to be a drug peddler. Kumar said he canceled the rental agreement with Jain in January after the latter invited twice as many guests as the villa’s seating capacity of 10. He said he had the relevant documents to prove his case.

Jain is also said to have organised parties at Balaji’s farmhouses near Devanahalli and Doddaballapur.

After the questioning was over, Kumar said he had given all the information to the CCB but refused to disclose them citing the investigators' instructions. "My phone has been seized. I am ready to come again if the officers call me," he said.

Balaji also said he had given all the information sought by the officers and praised them for their "good work". "I am always with them. I will disclose the details when the time comes, not now," he said.