BENGALURU: Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi, who has been arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police in connection with the Sandalwood drug abuse case, has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by a city court. As Dwivedi’s police custody ended on Monday, the police produced her along with four other accused — Prashant Ranka, Loum Pepper Samba, Rahul and Niyaz — before the 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court, through video conference. As the police did not seek further extension of their police custody, the court remanded the five accused in judicial custody.
Following this, the police took the five accused to Bengaluru Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara and remanded them in judicial custody. The actress will now have to cool her heels in the prison until court grants her bail. Her advocates have already moved a bail petition and it is yet to be heard by the court.Sources in the prison said that the five will be quarantined for two weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “They will be kept with new entrants for two weeks. Based on their test report for Covid, a decision will be taken on allowing them inside regular barracks with under-trial inmates,” an official said.
Ragini Dwivedi was arrested on September 4 by the CCB police, after she appeared before the investigation officer after being served a notice. The police have recorded her statement and have also collected physical, digital and medical evidence against the actress during her police custody.Meanwhile, the police custody of another actress Sanjjanaa Galrani, who was also arrested in the case, has been extended by two more days. She, along with two other accused — Viren Khanna and Ravishankar — will be questioned by the police for two more days, till September 16.