Rakul Preet-Rana Daggubati was summoned in a drug case

- Increase in drug use in Telangana

- A total of 11 persons connected with the film industry have been questioned

New Delhi: Actress Rakul Preet Singh and actor Rana Daggubati, popularly known as Bhallaldev in Bahubali, have been summoned in a four-year-old drug case.

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Rakulpreet to appear on September 6, Bahubali actor Rana Daggubati on September 7, Telugu actor Ravi Teja on September 7 and director Puri Jagannath on September 21.

A senior agency official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said neither Rakulpreet Singh, Rana Daggubati, Ravi Teja nor Puri Jagannath were accused. It would be premature to say anything about whether he is involved in money laundering.

In 2016, the Telangana Excise and Prohibition Department registered 19 cases after seizing drugs worth Rs 20 lakh. Chargesheets were filed in 11 of them. Enforcement has since launched an investigation into money laundering in excise department cases. The Telangana Excise Department has arrested 30 people in connection with the drug case and interrogated three others. In it, 11 people involved in the film industry have been questioned.

There have been significant cases of drug seizures from Hyderabad in the last few years. A large quantity was seized in July 2016. A series of raids led to the seizure of large quantities of LSD and cocaine and the arrest of 12 people. The excise department said its consumption also included students from schools and colleges. The parents of 3 schools and 3 colleges and students have also been informed about this.

The detainees said they were supplying banned drugs to pubs, educational institutions, rave parties held in Goa and Hyderabad. Its wires are also connected to Pune, Mumbai and Delhi. Six of those arrested are engineering graduates.