HYDERABAD: Alleged kingpin of the drug racket busted by the Prohibition and Excise department of Telangana, Calvin Mascarenhas, along with his aides, siblings Abdul Waheed and Abdul Quddoos, were taken into two days of custody by the Special Investigation Team on Saturday.
During the six hour long interrogation of the trio, who were brought from Cherlapalli central jail, the SIT reportedly found some shocking facts. The alleged kingpin Calvin was reportedly into drug peddling for around last two years through his contacts of event managers.
The officials also found that Calvin’s phone has over 1,478 contacts, in which only few persons and mostly related to entertainment industry were repeatedly contacted by him. Calvin was also in possession of three more SIM cards, in which the contacts and text messages are yet to be retrieved, said sources.
Investigators also collected the contacts from the mobile phones of other accused persons and also reportedly found that some young event managers from Hyderabad acted as mediators between the peddlers and consumers of LSD.
The second day of questioning may focus more on the finding out persons involved in this drug racket and to whom the event organisers were luring. “Calvin is the prime source for others to get drugs. Further questioning is on to find if any other consumers are present and more arrests would be made based on the evidences,” said sources quoting officials.
Parents say #NotInMY (school’s)Name
Hyderabad: Worried that the drug mafia has found its way to students, Hyderabad Schools Parents’ Association organised a campaign at People’s Plaza on Saturday. Called #Not In My (School’s) Name, the campaign saw over 100 parents, schoolchildren and senior citizens marching from People’s Plaza to PV Ghat, holding placards and banners.
Flaying the government for not disclosing the names of schools whose students were caught in the racket, Arvinda, a member of HPSA said, “The racket has been busted but has left us boggled. This campaign is to tell the government that enough lip-service has been done, now it’s time for some action against schools.”
A circular was also issued to city schools by Excise department directing them to be alert about deviant behaviour among students. Several schools have also decided to hold counselling for their students.
Parents, however, are not convinced that schools and governments are doing enough.
Drug issue needs to be addressed: Jagapati Babu
Hyderabad: Substance abuse is a lot more serious issue than terrorism and needs to be addressed immediately, said actor Jagapati Babu. Babu’s movie Patel Sir has released this Friday. “It is not about who is consuming it, but how widespread it is. Schoolchildren being addicted to drugs is a sad thing. I am not sure about what’s going on in the industry, but those consuming it should be punished. Only then there will be an end to this dangerous culture,” Babu told a channel.
Schools-Excise dept meet did not materialise
Amid the hullabaloo around busting of drug racket, a meeting which was proposed to be conducted on July 14 between managements of schools, officials of Telangana Prohibition and Excise department, and psychiatrists, did materialise. Managements of prominent international schools in the city said they did not receive official communication about the meeting. The agenda was to sensitise principals and managements of almost 80 schools in Hyderabad on drug menace.
Five arrested for smoking ganja
Four students and one graduate were arrested for smoking ganja in a flat of one of the students at LB Nagar on Saturday. On Friday, a team of police raided the flat, and found five persons smoking-up. A case was booked against those arrested under NDPS Act and they were produced before court for judicial remand. Also, ultimatum was served to Ganja traders in Dhoolpet “Stop ganja trade forthwith or be ready for stringent action,” said Dhoolpet’s assistant excise superintendent N Anji Reddy.