Tollywood actor Navdeep appears before TSNAB in drugs case

Hyderabad, Sep 23: Tollywood actor Navdeep on Saturday appeared before Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB) in a drugs case.

In response to the notices served by TSNAB on Thursday under 41A of Criminal Procedure Code, the actor appeared before the officials.

The officials were questioning him about his alleged links with drug peddlers.

His name had cropped up during an investigation conducted by TSNAB in a drugs case.

The agency had said that the actor was evading arrest in the case registered recently by the Gudimalkapur police following the arrest of three Nigerian peddlers.

An accused arrested based on the information provided by Tollywood financier Venkataramna Reddy and ex-Navy officer B. Balaji, who were arrested in another case recently, had allegedly revealed the name of Navdeep.

However, Navdeep had denied his involvement and approached the Telangana High Court for anticipatory bail.

The court on Wednesday directed the police not to take coercive action against him. It, however, said police can question him by issuing him a notice.

Navdeep was among the Tollywood personalities questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana’s Prohibition of Excise department in 2017 in connection with a high-end drugs racket. In 2021, he along with other film personalities was also questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the same case.

The SIT had given clean chit to celebrities in the drugs case.