Mamta Kulkarni to Ragini Dwivedi: Actresses involved in drug controversy

The drug controversy that has rocked Sandalwood, has many celebrities involved. We bring you some actresses whose names were dragged into the controversy

Mamta Kulkarni: The leading love interest of lead actors in the 1990s, Mamta Kulkarni, was dragged into the alleged role in supplying of Ephedrine for illicit manufacture of methamphetamine. The case was related to an international drug racket of substance worth Rs 2,000 crore. The actor found herself in soup along with husband Vicky Goswami. The husband and wife duo were said to be in touch with gangsters. The special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act court has declared Kulkarni and Goswami as proclaimed offenders and has also attached her properties in Mumbai as per a report.

Manisha Koirala: The most sought-after actress in the 1990s and early 2000s became the face of India cinema. The actress is quite vocal about her battle with her addiction and how she came out, and also fought ovarian cancer. The actress was said to be a smoker, got into drinking and substance abuse which led to her downfall in the industry. The actress however came back stronger and was recently seen taking a trip into the woods.

Charmme Kaur: Then Telugu actress’ name came to light after the Special Investigation Team of the Telangana Prohibition and Excise Department sent notices for her alleged role in a drug abuse case.The department first arrested Calvin Mascarenhas who was said to be a party host and accused him of consuming and circulating lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and methylenedioxy- methamphetamine (MDMA) to people in the corporate sector, students and celebrities. As part of the probe, the actress was summoned, and the actress had also appealed to the authorities not to collect her hair and nail samples by force.
 

Mumait Khan: Another actress's name involved in the same case following the arrest of Calvin Mascarenhas is Mumait Khan. The actress however looked cool while appearing before the SIT in 2017. The actress also volunteered to give her body fluid samples to authorities in that connection. However, the officers said the same was not required from her. She was subjected to a six-hour probe.Both actresses' names were taken by the officials for investigation after they sourced the details from the accused Mascarenhas’ list of contacts on his phone. Along with these actresses, many top male actors' names also figured.
 

Aswathy Babu: In 2018, Malayalam TV and cinema actress Aswathy Babu was arrested as she was allegedly in possession of MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine). In one of the reports it said, the police, who based on a tip-off reached her apartment, found her naked was high on drugs, allegedly. The officer traced the drug route to establish a link in Bengaluru in 2018. The officials also arrested her driver Binoy Abraham and seized 58gm of drugs worth several lakhs and booked them.

Ragini Dwivedi: The latest celebrity to be associated with the drug case is Ragini Dwivedi. The Central Crime Branch officials first arrested Ravishankar, her friend. Based on the electronic evidence about the proximity with the man involved in drug consumption and circulation, Ragini was served notice, her house was raided, and she was picked up for inquiry and later arrested on September 4.