HYDERABAD: Following the High Court's assurance against collection of body samples without one's consent, Tollywood actress Charmme Kaur appeared before the special investigation team of Telangana State Prohibition and Excise department on Wednesday morning.
She reached the department head quarters along with lawyer and bouncers before 10 a.m. amidst a crowd of curious onlookers and media. Dressed in a blue kurta, unlike other celebrities who chose to wear white shirts for their questioning session, Charmme greeted the media with folded hands before heading in.
Kaur is the seventh Tollywood celebrity to be questioned by the SIT among 12 persons summoned so far.
As per the High Court orders, four women officers - Excise Assistant Superintendent Anitha along with Renuka, Srilakshmi and Jailakshmi convened the session. It is expected to go on till 5 pm, beyond which officials will not be allowed to continue as per HC orders.
Sources said that the actress refused to take any food items provided by the sleuths as she brought her food from home. She was being questioned about her association with arrested kingpin of drugs racket Calvin Mascarenhas.
Her phone number was found saved in Calvin's contacts list and the sleuths had also recovered the whatsapp conversations and photographs.
On Tuesday, the Hyderabad High Court had rejected her plea to allow her advocate to be present during questioning and had directed the investigators not to collect her body fluids without her consent. The special counsel for Excise Department had informed the court that Kaur was being summoned as a witness and not as an accused.
Till now, director Puri Jagannadh, art director Dharma Rao alias Chinna, cinematographer Shyam K Naidu and actors P Subba Raju, Tarun Kumar and P Navdeep have been grilled by the SIT.
Except for Dharma Rao alias Chinna whose questioning session was finished in 3 hours 15 minutes, all others were grilled for 8 to 14 hours.
Actor Mumait Khan, who is currently in the Telugu Bigg Boss show is scheduled to appear before the SIT on Thursday.