HYDERABAD: Kelvin Mascarenhas, a key accused in the 2017 drugs case, tried to divert the investigation by accusing Tollywood personalities and IT professionals, states the chargesheet filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the case. The chargesheet filed before the court states that no drugs were found in possession of the Tollywood personalities, and no evidence was found of their involvement in the case. It further states that Kelvin, who pursed his school education in Mangaluru, got addicted to drugs and then became a drug peddler. He then formed contacts with many customers and supplied drugs to them.
Kelvin would obtain drugs from Goa and from abroad through the dark web and would sell it to customers by accepting orders via WhatsApp or email, as per the chargesheet. However, during interrogation, he has not revealed the residential addresses of his customers. He had also said that he supplied drugs to IT employees and students of international schools, but no evidence implicating any customer was obtained from him.
“Kelvin used Tollywood personalities’ names, claiming that he supplied drugs to them. But, no evidence was found to verify this either from him or from the actors. Director Puri Jagannadh and actor Tarun have given their samples voluntarily, and the reports stated that they had not consumed any drugs,” states an official’s statement in the chargesheet.
Initially, based on Kelvin’s statements, Excise department officials issued notices and questioned Tollywood actors and other personalities. Later, they came to the conclusion that Kelvin had deliberately used their names to divert the SIT’s in its probe. The chargesheet also states that Kelvin had tried to escape from the investigation agency during searches carried out at his residence in Secunderabad. The investigation officials have submitted evidences in connection with Kelvin’s drug peddling activities based on his WhatsApp chats and email correspondence.