BENGALURU: Kannada film actress Ragini Dwivedi, who was arrested in connection with the Sandalwood drug racket, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Ragini Dwivedi was arrested by the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) police on September 4 last year in connection with an FIR registered in Cottonpet police station under the provisions of the NDPS Act.
Her bail petition was rejected by the Special Court for NDPS cases and the Karnataka High Court, after which she had moved the Supreme Court. On Thursday, a bench of Justices RF Nariman, Navin Sinha and KM Joseph granted bail to the actress.
Sources said that Dwivedi, who is lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara, will be released once her advocates get the court order copy and fulfill the bail conditions. It is said that she may be released on Friday.
It may be recalled that the CCB had arrested several people in connection with the Sandalwood drug racket after journalist and filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh had made statements that some Kannada film personalities had a close nexus with drug dealers and drugs were supplied through actresses at high end parties hosted by major drug dealers.
The CCB had arrested more than 15 people in the case including actresses Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani.