Tollywood actor arrested for red sanders smuggling

Police on Sunday arrested small-time Tollywood actor Neetu Agarwal, who was on the run for the past few days after being booked in a red sanders smuggling case.

In the case registered by police, Neetu was named accused number 10 and charged with transfering Rs 1.05 lakh from her bank account to red sanders smuggler Balu Nayak of Chagalamarri. The account has been frozen. 

The 27-year-old actor was taken into custody near Ullindakonda by the Rudravaram police when she was on her way to Bangalore. She was presented before the media briefly on Sunday morning in Kurnool. 

“The actress has been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy under IPC and other relevant sections of Forest Act for conspiring with the smugglers of the precious wood,” Kurnool Superintendent of Police A Ravi Krishna.

The heroine of “Prema Prayanam” was in a live-in relationship with its producer, YSR Congress leader and Chagalamarri mandal president Kondampalli Mastan Vali, a lemon vendor-turned-red sander-smuggler arrested on April 13 in connection with the case. 

The duo was living here and they own a flat and a car. Police believe that Mastan Vali gifted her flat and car. She transferred the money into Naik’s account on the information given by Vali, who reportedly produced the film from the money he earned through red sanders smuggling.

Specific case

Police suspect that she may have transferred money to accounts of smugglers earlier also, but in this specific case, police identified the transaction and the amount, the SP said adding that further probe was on with regard to different angles in the case.

Neetu Agarwal, who was not very successful in her career, found a friend in Mastan Vali who was married thrice. Neetu’s debut movie is yet to see the light of the day. Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce has already expelled Mastan Vali and blacklisted him.

Addressing the media, Ravi Krishna said the police were determined to curb the red sanders smuggling. “We have found out that Balu Nayak is at the bottom of a three-tier smuggling racket. We are on our way to arrest big sharks and collecting evidence against them. We want people to dial 100 to inform whereabouts of red sanders smugglers,” he said.

The SP said the police will seek custody of Agarwal and are ready to file charge sheet at the earliest.

Reacting to a query on the involvement of some political leaders in the red sanders smuggling, the SP said they were in the process of collecting evidence in this regard. 

Meanwhile, police sources said when quizzed, Agarwal claimed that she was married to Mastan Vali and was allegedly subjected to domestic violence by him.